


The Art of Seduction (the Art Series)

by crybabygalore



Series: The Art Series [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Dark, Dark Comedy, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Mild Gore, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Public Sex, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soft Dom Hatake Kakashi, Strip Tease, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Stripping, Torture, kinksgalore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 43,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29508696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crybabygalore/pseuds/crybabygalore
Summary: Prior to the Sasuke Retrieval Mission, YN and Kakashi had always been close. His laid-back personality has always complimented her high strung one. However, after their fall-out, life for YN had begun to miss something.It isn’t until after the Fourth Shinobi War are they reunited once more and assigned to find missing women by working as an erotic dancer at a strip club.YN must navigate the toxic culture and is forced to find herself through her sexuality and seduction. All the while unaware of the dangers that lurk beneath the surface.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Reader
Series: The Art Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167659
Comments: 16
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter | 01

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stripped Bare](https://archiveofourown.org/works/443225) by [Purple_Panic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purple_Panic/pseuds/Purple_Panic). 



> This story has been inspired not only by Stripped Bare by Purple_Panic, but also by Chained to You by MKSS. 
> 
> This will become a VERY dark story in Part 2: The Art of Immorality, so please heed the warnings in my tags!

Despite the resigning sun, the humid air clings to her (skin tone) flesh. Vivid oranges, reds, yellows, and pinks clash and swirl in the sky above, a more beautiful turmoil than what harbors inside of YN.

Her shoulders are tense, (eye color) eyes utterly aware of her surroundings, ready to attack at a moment's notice. She hugs her knees, knuckles blanching as she watches the fire lick the darkening sky. She gains an inexplicable type of comfort from the crackling fire wood, the smell of smoke coating the inside of her lungs.

The nin next to her is reclining against a large log, one hand flipping through his erotic novel, the other shielding the back of his head from the rough bark. 

YN's eyes glance over the lean figure, committing every hard plane, soft curve, and sharp angle to memory. His long, lean legs are crossed at the ankles, book resting against his solid chest. 

The warm winds howl through the green foliage above, a few leaves gracefully dance and sway to the ground.

"I can feel your eyes on me, YN," his deep voice is rich and smooth like honey. He doesn't look away from the page he's currently reading in the dimming light, nonchalant as always.

Her eyes widen in surprise before she quickly averts them back to the flickering fire. "S-sorry."

He sighs, not hiding his annoyance. Rubbing the back of his neck, he straightens up and sets the book down in his lap, keeping his thumb between the pages, and tilts his head towards her. 

"What's wrong?" Talking about feelings is foreign to the silver haired jonin, making him uneasy with discomfort. However, if he plans to have a successful mission with the young kunoichi, he needs her to be at ease.

Sadly, she knows he'd rather be anywhere else but here, with any other kunoichi but her. "Nothing, just nervous, I guess." She lies, inadequacy sinking deep into the pit of her stomach, threatening to grow roots. 

"After I'm done teaching you, you'll be fine." He states, lifting his literature back up to continue where he left off. 

She swallows the lump in her throat, believing his words as much as he does, zero to none. The memory of being called into the Hokage's office alongside Kakashi-sensei, with a stack of papers in her hands and a confused expression upon her face, just early that morning flashes behind her eyes. 

** f l a s h b a c k **

“...and I thought to myself, ‘I spent the last three books supporting him, why would I stop supporting him now and start supporting some damn twelve year old who _killed,_ yes _killed_ , an OG character?’” A light scoff leaves her lips as she shakes her head. “I understand the story is the epitome of morally grey, and I don’t agree with some of his actions but I do support him, y’know?”

Her (eye color) eyes flick to the comatose patient, peacefully lying under the thin white sheets. A warm breeze rustles his black locks, his usually sparkling, bright eyes are now closed.   
  
She sighs, gently inserting a feeding tube down Rock Lee’s throat to provide his body with the necessary nutrients. Her life has been uneventful for the past few years. Ever since the Fourth Shinobi War, a relative peace has settled upon the countries. Missions have been few and far between for a while; countries had instead focused on rebuilding their economy, training the next generation of ninjas, and lifting the low spirits of their residents. 

It’s only been the last few months that mission requests have begun to increase, not only in number but also in difficulty and risk. Rock Lee was brought to the hospital a few weeks ago after being rendered unconscious from opening the fifth gate during his last mission, his body utterly exhausted from the strain it endured. His enemy was a high level shinobi who turned rogue and began terrorizing civilians in Tea country. Ever since then, YN has been assigned to care for him until he wakes from his coma. She bathes him, feeds him, and takes care of his toiletry needs. She’s also been assigned to handle all and any paper work, along with rudimentary examinations, and small injuries.

Every day, Gai sensei visits his beloved prodigy. He brings flowers, stories, and words of encouragement to ‘strengthen his power of youth’.

The summer sun seeps through the large windows of the room, heating her skin, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Don’t worry, Rock Lee. I’ll lend you the books once you wake up.” She softly pats his shoulder. “I think you’ll love it!”

”He should wake any day now.” A familiar voice speaks behind her.

YN spins to see a pink haired medic. “I know. Gai-sensei has been visiting more often in hopes that he’s the first person Lee sees when he wakes.” She rolls her eyes, a friendly smile on her lips.

Sakura walks further into the spacious room, the rays of sun highlighting her stunning features, her emerald eyes shining and her long hair gracefully falling over her shoulders. She stands at the end of Lee’s bed and grabs his chart that’s attached to the footboard. “Did you finish the paper work, yet?”

YN eyes the stack of paper on the stand next to Lee’s bed. She’s nearly done, only a few pages are left to be filled out. “Almost... I’ll have it filed away before your surgery later today.”

“Thanks. Hey, if you ever get better at healing others, then you could be preparing for a surgery right along with me.” She gives a flippant shrug with a faint smile on her pink lips.

The smile on YN’s face falters a bit before returning from the unintended blow to her ego. She knows Sakura didn’t intend to be mean and maybe it wasn’t a slight at all, but YN’s past experiences makes the comment feel like a back-handed compliment. She suppresses the feeling and continues with their conversation.

”Yeah, maybe. I’ll just keep practicing.”

Sakura stands there for a while, looking over Rock Lee’s chart. “You bathed him today?”

”Yes.”

”And you just finished feeding him now, great.”

YN hums as she carefully pulls the feeding tube out of Rock Lee. The melodic chirping of birds and the soft hum of chatter from outside fills the silence between them. 

This is what YN has grown accustomed to. The predictability of her life. The mundane routine of slow hospital shifts. Yes, there are days when the hospital is chaotic, nurses and doctors rushing to patients to save them or at least ease their pain and begin healing their wounds. However, most often than not, Konoha Hospital has been pretty quiet for the past few years. Her monotonous routine of working, going home, and the occasional sparing with Sakura in the training fields a few times a week provided her with a false sense of safety, even though she always felt like something was missing.

She has an idea of what that something is, or should she say, _who_ that something is. 

“Oh, before I forget, my shishou wants to see you about a mission after you’re done.” Sakura says, breaking YN from her thoughts.

YN disposes of the equipment used to feed Rock Lee and furrows her eyebrows. _A mission?_ It’s been months since she was last given an assignment. “Alright, thanks.” 

She gathers the stack of papers from the small table next to Lee and clutches them to her chest.

”Good luck!” Sakura bids her adieu as she walks off in the opposite direction.

Her sandals squeak against the gleaming tiles of the hospital floor before they begin scuffing against the dirt walkways. The sun beats pleasurably against her face, her body absorbing the vitamin D it lacks from being hidden away inside the hospital so often.

Luckily for her, the Administration Building is only a few blocks away. She politely greets those who pass her by as she treads towards the circular building, her mind pondering what mission she’ll be given. _An escort mission? Hmm.. maybe even a recon mission. Yeah, that would be nice._ The papers in her arms rustle in the gentle breeze.

Cool air conditioning caresses YN’s exposed skin as she steps into the building, raising goosebumps in its wake. A few administrators wander about the first floor, too preoccupied in tending to their daily schedule to notice the new person walking inside.

She jogs up the stairs, taking two at a time. With each step, she gets closer to the office and closer to her mission but uncertainty swirls within her. Does she even want a mission and risk upsetting the fragile balance of her home life? She’s kind of content with where she is. Does she miss hanging out and eating ramen with Team 7? Of course she does. Does she miss the thrill of pushing herself to her limits and the adrenaline pumping through her veins? Yes. Does she want to strain her, finally decent, relationship with her mom? Absolutely not.

She begins gnawing on the skin of her bottom lip, peeling off bits in a nervous habit. Steeling her nerves, she tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear and raps her knuckles against the wood – a little too rapidly for her liking.

”Come in,” calls Tsunade-sama’s voice.

Gently pushing open the door, YN pokes her head through. “You called for me, Hokage-sama?”

Tsunade waves the young kunoichi in, “yes, yes. Come in.”

Stepping inside, YN finally notices another person in the room, none other than her former sensei, Kakashi Hatake. She wonders what he’s doing here, _surely we’re not being paired for a mission together...right?_

Tsunade-sama leans back in her high-back chair, a grim scowl etched into her face that’s resting on top of her interlocked fingers.

Anxiety tumbles inside her belly, more so with Kakashi being so unreadable. The familiar sight of his unruly silver locks and black mask soothes her nerves a little but his silence is daunting. He stands behind one of the chairs positioned in front of the Hokage’s desk.

She wonders how he’s been as she clutches the papers tightly to her chest and pads over to him. This is the first time she’s seen him in months, with her trying to avoid him yet, oddly still trying to seek him out when she would walk home to and from work, the grocery store, wherever. Her routes never differed but her eyes were always on high alert for a jonin with silver hair and his ninja headband covering his left eye.

The haunting silence is eventually broken by the authoritative voice of the Hokage. “You both are probably wondering why I’ve summoned you here.”

YN unceremoniously drops the stack of papers onto the chair in front of her with furrowed brows. A few pages slowly sway to the floor as she scurries to stand next to her teacher. 

Tsunade lowers her hands and lightly taps her manicured nails against the parchment holding their mission details. “Missing women have been reported within the last month or so in an area on the outskirts of the Land of Grass.” Her honey colored eyes flick between the two shinobis. “No one knows who’s kidnapping them or where they’re being brought to. That’s where you two come in.” She leans forward, her blonde brows raising as she folds her hands over her desk. She focuses her gaze on YN and informs her, “you’re role for this mission is to be an exotic dancer.”

Stunned. YN is completely and utterly stunned. _An exotic dancer?! A fucking stripper?!_ The absurdity makes her want to laugh but the reality of the thought truly terrifies her. Can she even do that?

“Are you– are you serious?”

Tsunade’s eyes narrow slightly, her body unmoving as she asks, “What else would I be?”

The young kunoichi seems to deflate a little bit. She fiddles with the fringe of her tawny brown shawl, clipped at her shoulder. “Sorry.” Her eyes glance over to the silver haired man next to her. What is he even doing here? And why is he so calm?

Unbeknownst to her, despite his relaxed posture, Kakashi is as uncomfortable with this mission as much as she is, maybe even more so, but he’ll never show it. He’ll have to be strong for the both of them until she gets used to the idea.

“Anyways,” she continues. “You’ll travel to Kabukichō disguised as a civilian, which means no fighting unless it’s absolutely necessary. Once you arrive, you’ll report to the club and meet with the owner, Gianni. He’ll give you a rundown on what’s expected of you but since it’s a gentleman’s club, you should probably already have a good idea, correct?”

YN nods silently, chewing on the skin of her upper lip now.

”Good. For the mission, you’ll need to befriend the women of the club and gather as much intel as you can from them about who the missing women last spoke to, and where they might have gone. You’ll also need to use all possible means to extract information from any suspicious patrons of the club while maintaining your disguise.”

Tasting blood, YN blurts out, “I can’t do it! I don’t think I’m the right kunoichi for this mission...” she trails off but not before adding, “respectfully.” To compensate for her outburst.

How could the Hokage possibly expect this from her? She knows the extent of ‘all possible means’, and even if she isn’t a virgin, how is she expected to have sex with random strangers who could possibly transmit any number of sexual infections? She doesn’t even know how to dance and she’s beyond socially awkward. How in the hell does Tsunade-sama believe she’s fit for this role; the role of a tantalizing siren who can lure unsuspecting men in with the ticking of her hips? Surely, it could never be her. She’s hasn’t even had her first kiss yet!

“I’m positive there are better kunoichis...”

Tsunade sighs. “I know you’re capable, YN. To make you more comfortable, Kakashi will accompany you to Kabukichō disguised as a civilian as well. He’ll also be there to meet Gianni with you, but from that point forward, you cannot let it be apparent that you’re working together. He’ll conduct investigation outside during the day, and will attend the club nightly as a patron, observing for any suspicious behaviors. If either of you need to communicate with the other at the club, it must be done strictly as a dancer and observer.”

With wide eyes and gaping mouth, YN turns to the masked man next to her. She can’t believe what she’s hearing and as she watches him lift his gaze from the cliffs outside and gives her his signature eye crease, she’s still in denial.

“Yo. It’s been a while, YN-chan.”

YN is starting to feel overwhelmed. Not only does she have to strip for strangers, but she has to bare her body to her former teacher as well. Heat spreads through her face, burning at the thought of dancing on a pole in barely any fabric as Kakashi-sensei looks on. This has to be one of the worst days in her life. What will her mom think? _Oh shit, my mom!_ This mission is going to sever any ties she previously had with her mother, especially since it’s Kakashi she’s partnering with. She licks the small drops of blood that fills the missing bit of her lip and begins gnawing on it again to stop herself from screaming.

”You’ll leave as soon as possible.” The Hokage continues, noting the nervous habit she has. She feels a little sympathy at YN’s predicament, however she has one last blow to deliver the duo.

”YN, I left all matters of training in Kakashi’s hands. He’ll teach you everything you need to know as you two journey to the club considering there won’t be enough time to learn beforehand. Please ask him any questions since you’re success relies in your ability to properly apply his methods and techniques in real life.”

If YN had the power to dissipate into thin air, she would. She swallows a whimper and nods mutely. Her gaze flicks between Tsunade and Kakashi as mortification thrums in her veins. Not only will she be dancing on a pole in front of the man who has no qualms about reading porn in public, but he will also be the one to _teach_ her how to dance on a fucking pole and how to strip for other perverted men as well. Wonderful.

“Great. You’ll leave in the evening. YN, pack what you need to travel because Gianni will provide provisions and your appropriate wardrobe upon arrival. You’re dismissed.”

YN chokes back tears as she gives a curt nod to the older man and woman before scurrying out of the office. She’s so flustered by the unexpected turn of events that she forgot the stack of papers in the office.

_Shit._

Half way down the corridor, she remembers her papers and doubles back, unaware that Kakashi never left the office.

Gently opening the door, she hears his low timbre speaking. “— to disrespect you, Hokage-sama, but you can’t possibly be serious about assigning her this mission, can you? She clearly doesn’t believe she’s fit either and the amount of training she’ll need cannot be done in the allotted time we’re being given.”

The simple statement said in such an even voice made YN feel as if a bucket of ice cold water has been dumped on her. Her heart thumps in her chest as a sinking feeling settles in her stomach, unable to stop herself from eavesdropping.

Inside the office, Tsunade raised a blonde eyebrow as she opens the bottom drawer of her desk, grabbing two shot glasses and a bottle of sake and places them on her desk. She unscrews the lid and pours, the sloshing of the clear liquid is the only sound heard inside of the room. Sliding a glass across the wooden surface, Tsunade says, “Relax, Kakashi. I understand you’re worried but I think you’re underestimating her.”

She fixes her honey colored gaze upon his single, dark one, surprised she’s receiving such backlash from the Sharingan user. As a former ANBU operative, he’s accustomed to following orders without questioning and trusting his superiors to make the correct decisions for the good of the village.

”Since you’re entrusting this mission with me, I request another kunoichi – one more suitable for the job.”

Truth be told, Tsunade had her reservations about assigning YN this mission, as well. YN simply doesn’t seem to posses the abilities required for the mission. Earlier, she received an urgent request to send a female shinobi between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five to go undercover as a dancer in the red-light district between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth. Much to her dismay, Tsunade is very familiar with this particular crime-ridden area since it’s an infamous hub for gambling and any other illegal activities. However, with mission requests being so low lately, Konoha is in desperate need for any type of income and this request held multiple dollar signs that was too tempting to pass.

She would have also liked for another kunoichi to take this mission but she had gone through the roster multiple times and always came to the same conclusion; YN was the only kunoichi available that fit the criteria needed.

Even if Anko was a few years younger, Tsunade highly doubts she would pass for the required age. Oh, how the snake summoning kunoichi would have eaten those men for breakfast.

“I know she may not have the necessary experience that we would _both_ prefer, but I’ll bet money that she’ll succeed. She’s no longer the same girl you trained, Kakashi.”

Kakashi wants to scoff. Maybe she’s not the same girl, but he knows the mission calls for a _woman_ experienced in the dark world of lust and seduction; something he’s certain she has no familiarity with.

”Maybe not, but I would feel more comfortable with a different candidate. What about the Yamanaka girl or even Ten-Ten?”

Tsunade rubs her temples to prevent herself from knocking him across the room due to his stubbornness. Of all days, he chooses today to question her.

”Ino was sent on a mission last week and isn’t due back for another eight days. Ten-Ten is currently healing from a broken leg.”

”Maybe Naruto’s girlfriend will accept this mission?”

”On an escort mission.”

Kakashi bites back a sigh. “I’ll even take Sakura instead.”

Tsunade glowers at the obstinate masked man. “I’m not throwing my apprentice into a lion’s den. Besides, she has a major surgery to perform tonight and a check up on the patient tomorrow.”

On the other side of the door, YN is flummoxed. Different emotions battle within her as she staggers away from the door, unnerved.

The Hokage doesn’t want her mini-me to be subjected to the horror of being objectified and used as some sort of play-thing for strange men, but it’s okay if she is? And Kakashi doesn’t believe she’s suited for this mission either?

Great.

For some reason, Kakashi’s doubt of her potential to fulfill this assignment hurts more than Tsunade throwing her to the wolves. She wonders if he truly did agree with her mom, all those years ago? Maybe that’s why he never spoke up or seeked her out afterwards?

With her lips pursed in a thin line, she blinks back tears that threaten to spill as she walks away.

**e n d o f f l a s h b a c k**

YN glances over to her former teacher again. How can he be so relaxed right now?

She can definitely understand why he would prefer Ino over her. Ino oozes sex appeals, but Blushing Hyuga and Bubblegum Sakura?

She gnaws on her lips to prevent a sigh from escaping and stares into the flames.

”You should rest, YN. We’re going to have a long day tomorrow.” He says without sparing her a glance.

Unwilling to grant his statement with a response, the (blonde, brunette, redhead, etc.) slips into her sleeping bag and tries to push the negative emotions away before falling into a dreamless slumber. 


	2. Chapter | 02

YN can't keep her eyes off the dancing yellow rays of sunlight peeking through small pockets in the thick canopy overhead. The shaded yellow light creates a soft yet vibrant orange glow under the leafy covering.

The silver haired jonin knew that broaching the topic of YN's training wasn't going to be an easy task, but she hasn't uttered a word since they left their camp earlier. The two jonins have been trekking well into the mid-morning, surrounded by a thick and uncomfortable silence. The only sounds filling the void are their sandaled feet making contact over moss covered tree branches and the wooshing of wind rushing past their ears.

He had expected for their vibe to be different than the other missions they've embarked on together with the rest of the gang, but he didn't expect for her to completely clam up. After travelling half of the morning, it has become apparent that YN isn't going to initiate conversation anytime soon and that he will have to make the first move.

He slows down slightly, allowing for her to catch up so they can travel side by side and in his peripherals he can see her lips pursed into a grim line and her eyes casted towards the branches whizzing under her feet, avoiding him at all costs.

"YN," He begins, dropping the affectionate term he usually uses for her and Sakura. "I think it's time we start your training."

Dread pools in the pit of her stomach as she bites back a groan of frustration. _Great, it's only been half a day and he's already trying to humiliate me_ , she thinks bitterly.

"This isn't the type of green that's gonna persuade me to take off my clothes," the (brunette/ blonde/ redhead etc.) snarks back irritably.

Wow, their mission hasn't even begun and she's already on the defensive; what a great way to start a mission. To her dismay, she's aware the reason she's being so bitchy is because she's still bitter about what she overheard yesterday.

"I wasn't going to ask that of you," he states patiently, keeping his dark eyes ahead to not miss his footing. "I just want to talk with you and help you mentally prepare for what you'll face. Understand that I don't want to embarrass you but it's my duty to prepare you for future challenges. Even if it's difficult, I expect a positive attitude from you from this moment forward or else you'll make it harder than it has to be. Got it?" He says in a stern tone he hasn't used on her in years.

His chiding takes out some of the fight in her. Pushing her lips out in a pout, her voice comes out less harsh. "Got it."

"Good. Now, chances are, when you're dancing, several men will offer you large sums of moneyto take them in a back room for some...er...private attention." He says, providing a less vulgar way to put it. "In these moments, it's crucial that you maintain control, otherwise they will certainly attempt to take advantage of you."

YN springs onto another tree branch before she quickly glances at her former teacher and juts out her chin in defiance and shrugs nonchalantly, "easy."

Kakashi fights to hold back a sigh at this typical stubborn teenager, but he has to make sure this essential information gets through her thick skull somehow.

"Here's the thing, YN, I know you're a very nice girl who can struggle with setting boundaries with people you don't know well, especially men. However, you're going to have to use sensuality and cunning to control them, so, not only do they keep their hands to themselves, but it's also the best time to interrogate anyone we deem suspicious."

A scowl etches into her features as she frowns in opposition, ready to contest with her teacher. "I do not! I can handle myself, I'm not some damsel in distr—"

"— I never said you were," he says, cutting her off before she can even begin her rant. "But that one time you tried to follow that creepy guy back to his house after he told you, 'his friend would love you' proves my point, YN."

Her cheeks warm as she wilts a little from the humiliation of being proven wrong. She remembers that incident when Team 7 was on a mission in the land of Lightning and how she didn't want to seem rude to the older man in front of others. She doesn't even want to think about what could have happened to her if Kakashi didn't realize she had left the group.

"Once you start to lose control of a situation, it becomes increasingly difficult to regain it. I don't want anything bad happening to you."

YN's palms begin to sweat and she's not liking this conversation one bit. "Get answers by being sexy, got it." She replies flatly, showing her teacher that she's only entertaining this because it's required.

"No, there's more to it," he continues to explain. "Despite some of the men being brainless thugs, you can't just throw out random questions and expect to magically get the answers we need. Other men will be smart and guarded, even being alone with you. Start by making small talk and lull them into a false security. Ask trivial questions while sneaking in ones that matter."

Kakashi glances over to the (brunette/ blonde/ redhead, etc) to make sure she's listening. Even with her eyes focused ahead, she's nodding along with what he's saying, dropping her defensive act for the time being.

"However," he continues, "the most essential thing is to be completely confident in yourself, both while dancing on stage and in the back rooms. Men are like animals, they can sense when you're scared or insecure and you can't let yourself be intimidated."

YN learned long ago in battle to be confident in herself, but she's only confident in her shinobi ability. Back in the days when she used to train, YN was always competitive with the boys, desperate to reach the same level of skill they held. It wasn't until the Fourth Shinobi War that she became confident.

But, asking a woman to be fearless while entirely exposed isn't so simple.

She pinches her eyebrows together and huffs. "Easier said than done. Why don't you try to parade yourself in a G-stringand let's see how comfortable you are." She sourly gripes.

The silver haired man frowns, trying to dismiss the horrifying image of himself in a tiny thong and a strangely foreign one of YN in similar attire.

"Being an exotic dancer means you have to be comfortable in your own skin," he continues, "I don't care what it takes to achieve that, but it's something you need to do. You can't afford to be modest while you're working and men will pounce on you if you show any type of weakness."

YN swallows thickly while nodding. Fear and anxiety weave their way around her core, squeezing her. Instead of easing her trepidation, his lecture only heightens it. She has touched her body before, not only for assessments but in failed explorations as well. One exploration she's never tried before, though, is dancing in her room and familiarizing herself with her sensuality the way Ino and Sakura have bragged about. She starts to eat the skin off her lips, wishing she had done so, even if she felt foolish.

"You need to be in touch with your own sexuality and sensuality; these two will be your weapons and they need to be sharply honed."

Kakashi never thought he'd be having this type of conversation with a former student, let alone a female one and it's growing increasingly awkward. What had once been purely a student-teacher relationship is being thrown out of whack since he's obligated to teach her about the much more mature topic of sex; a responsibility he didn't ask for nor did he desire. He would rather stick one of his erotic novels in her face and call it a day, yet here he is sifting through his brain to enlighten YN in the least graphic way.

The kunoichi scoffs at his previous remark and he can hear the slight bitterness that crept into her voice. "That's gonna be nearly impossible since I don't have any sensuality."

Kakashi’s lips twitch up as he watches hers form a pout. "I'm sure you do. Every woman has the potential to be sensual, they just have to find it,though each is entirely unique." He can remember quite vividly when he had seen women with less than beautiful faces, and or carrying a few extra pounds managing to appear more desirable than a gorgeous woman. It was in the way they moved their bodies, how they modulated their voices, and in their soft touch; it was their state of being.

If a pretty little thing like YN can master her own way of drawing men in, it would be possible that she could have her pick of any man she wants, and that's exactly what's needed for this mission to run smoothly, and hopefully, successfully. Kakashi already has an idea on what it could be, but that's something she needs to figure out herself.

YN snorts, "if that's true, then I definitely don't have the first one," she says in a soft humorous tone, so soft, the winds almost carried her words away. "Well, I mean I did..." she trails off, grimacing at the unwanted memory of her first time.

"...did?" He prompts. He's pretty sure he knows the ending of her sentence, but much to his chagrin, he needs to be thorough, no matter how uncomfortable it makes him.

YN becomes flustered, almost missing the next branch that whizzes under her feet. The last thing she wants to do is inform her teacher she has been sexually active. Never in a million years, would she have imagined her telling Kakashi she's no longer a virgin. Hell, she doesn't even know if her first time counts!

"Did... _it_ ," she whispers the last word, embarrassed they're even discussing her sexual history. Her lips purse as she feels heat spread throughout her face and avoids eye contact with her mission partner.

"Ahh, I see..." the jonin says, his voice not betraying the shock he feels. He's not sure why the thought of YN being sexually active makes him feel so... surprised, maybe even disconcerted? Most kunoichis usually lose their virginities by the time they're her age, but the notion of hers being gone is still unexpected.

Although, it's not like her situation paralleled Sakura's. It's a known fact in Konoha that Sakura has been saving herself romantically and sexually for the last surviving Uchiha. Over the years, he has unwillingly become privy to Konoha's dating scene and a name that kept recurring was Sakura's and the disappointment most of the male shinobis felt when she would only agree to a few dates.

On the other hand, it didn't seem like YN was even interested in any boys. Maybe that had changed after they had stopped talking? No, he would have heard her name being tossed around if she did. That thought leads to him questioning exactly _who_ she had given herself to.

"That makes my job easier," he teases, bounding for the next branch. He shakes the thought away for it would blur the already thinning line between teacher and student..

YN can feel the heat of embarrassment burn her cheeks. How can he be so casual? The laid-back intonation of his velvety voice could have easily been talking about what he ate this morning for breakfast. Although, she supposes that most shinobis are usually casual when it comes to sex, sometimes even having so many partners they lose count.

As she bounds for another tree branch ahead of her, her (eye color) eyes flick over to her teacher and she wonders how many women he's been with. Five? Ten? Twenty? He certainly knows a lot about the art of seduction and strip clubs. Is it from all the erotica he reads or is it from experience? Is it possible Kakashi has unraveled the enigma that is the female mind and is able to get into our heads and explain our ways of thinking? If that's the case, no female he wishes to pursue would be able to resist. Not like, they would want to resist since he's one of the best looking teachers - no, person, in all of Konoha.

The second YN realizes she's pondering about her sensei's sex life, her blush flares immensely. She tries to lock away those impure thoughts in the deepest parts of her mind. _What the hell is wrong with me? I can't see my sensei like that!_ , she reprimands herself.

Silence once again reigns over the duo for a few moments, YN happy to finally be left in peace and to drop the awkward conversation, letting it shatter on the ground. Until Kakashi's smooth voice slithers in her ears.

"If you don't mind me asking, since you have already had sex, you must be familiar with the visceral component of intercourse, yes?"

Her eyes widen at the question, her mouth forming a small 'o'. 

_Is he really asking me this?_

YN only had sex once. It was awkward, it was clumsy, it was in the dark, and just plain...awful; it would've been better if she never had sex in the first place. A moment she wishes she could push to the recesses of her mind, never to see the light of day again. So ruffled by his question, her foot accidentally skids on the slick surface of moss covering the next branch and she topples back, narrowly missing the last branch and falls towards the forest ground.

She tries to twist her body around, but she becomes disoriented, unsure of which way is up and which way is down, well on her way to face planting in the muddy grass.

Strong arms wrap around her body, catching her effortlessly. Her doe (eye color) eyes blink in surprise and relief once she finds herself cradled against Kakashi's hard chest. One arm wraps around her shoulders, the other wraps under her knees, pressing her body tightly against his. The last time he had to save her like this was when she was a mere Genin; another thing she has to be embarrassed about.

"Are you alright?" He inquires with genuine concern, knowing YN's far too skilled to be making such petty mistakes. Despite travelling half the morning, he knows her chakra reserves aren't that low.

The close proximity of her and Kakashi made her body tingle, his earthy scent isn't helping either. She clears her throat and huffs, wiggling out of his grasp and pushing away from his solid body. "Yeah, I'm fine." She purposefully avoids looking into his single dark eye that's currently studying her critically. "I just didn't jump high enough, no biggie."

"Do you need a break?" He asks, not caring if the question wounds her pride a little. Telling him that she can continue on for a little bit longer, her stomach lets out a loud rumble.

Damn it! She curses as her body goes rigid, just as startled as Kakashi who looks at her quizzically. A deep pink, bordering red, dusts her cheeks as she sheepishly beams, tilting her head up; her smile is so big it almost closes her eyes. "May-maybe I can eat."

"You have ten minutes," he states calmly before walking over to lean against a tree. He's thankful his mask is able to hide the amused twist of his lips because if she saw it, it would only make her angry and he can't help but chuckle at her adorable stubbornness.

YN ravishes her snack, softly moaning in delight of eating; one of her favorite things to do. So far, the only thing to go right today is her enjoying her snack, her body wiggling in content as she chews. Thankfully, the ungraceful fall got her out of reliving her less than subpar sexual experience. Maybe, just maybe, she won't ever have to answer.  
  


**After the unscheduled break** , the duo had continued to zoom through the dense forest of Fire Country for roughly five hours, keeping conversation light to save their breath and increase their endurance; much to YN's relief.

It isn't until the sun passes overhead in the cloudless, blue sky does Kakashi finally call for another break. YN's quads and calves burn while her soles ache, seeking rest from the taxing activity of tree jumping. She's also delighted to get some food in her system, reckoning that Kakashi must be hungry as well.

During their lunch break, Kakashi uses this time to further discuss interrogation tactics with her, explaining how in some situations it's best to ask questions casually, sometimes even flippantly while other times she will have to use firmer yet still flirtatious approaches.

In every mission, the outcome is always unforeseeable, but what makes YN so nervous is how she believes this one will end in complete and utter failure because of her; which is why she nods and listens to him wholeheartedly despite most of what he says being review from her general training. Plus, she's grateful to delve into less personal matters because she knows they're by no means, through with discussing the more intimate topics of this mission but she's hoping to delay it for as long as possible.

After all, it's been years since Kakashi was her sensei. After being under the tutelage of Tsunade with Sakura and Ino, YN saw him close to never, seeing as he abhors hospitals and that's usually where she spends most of her days. It's odd to be thrown into such compromising roles after not seeing him for over a year.

What truly makes YN so uneasy is how Kakashi hasn't really changed over the years, but she has. And now, he's the leader of this operation, making YN his subordinate, and he's instructing her on a subject that's far more mature than tree climbing. It's all so overwhelming, and confusing. She feels as if she's been thrown into treacherous waters without a life preserver and the only one who can save her is Kakashi. She hums, thinking how the only way for him to save her is by teaching her how to swim, and that's exactly what he's always done.

After lunch and their brief discussion, they're on the move again, zipping through the tree tops. To her solace, Kakashi doesn't attempt to make any more conversation and she doesn't fall out of any more trees.

Her (eye color) eyes focus on the branches ahead while she uses her chakra to scan the surrounding area for any likely threats as she jumps from tree to tree until the sun kisses the moon goodnight and she losses all track of time.

Her muscles are trembling from exertion, and her lungs burn from the vast build up of lactic acid. Inwardly, she can't help but cringe at how her once razor sharp combat skills and excessive stamina have now dulled from staying cooped up inside a hospital all day long. She's realizing, a little too late, how training with Sakura a few times a week at the training fields wasn't enough and the fact that it's just been too dámn long since she's been on a mission.

The silver haired jonin can feel her chakra signature wavering as she draws from the last of her reserves. They still have about a day and half until they reach the borders of Fire Country and he doesn't want to completely exhaust her on her first official day.

At the next clearing, he jumps down and lands in a silent crouch with YN following close behind. They'll make camp here for the night and head out the next morning.

When he hears YN's muttered, 'oh, thank God' accompanied with a sigh of relief, a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he remembers when she used to do the same thing after traveling a quarter of what they journeyed today back when Team 7 was in its infancy. Being the stubborn, hard head that she is, he knows that she would've continued until her body refused to carry her any further than ask for a break; times certainly have changed but some things do not.

"How's your body?" he asks as he gathers dry branches he can use to create a fire.

YN knows the innocence of his question, and as a medic she recognizes it for what it is: an inquiry in the condition of her muscles and chakra after traveling at such a grueling pace all day. However, that's not the first thing she thinks of and she finds herself blushing when she imagines him asking her the same question with a different connotation, even if she knows that's not what he means.

Her face contorts into a pained smile when she tries to frown at her own immaturity, but she can't help but feel her heart beat a little more harder and her face blushing a little more deeply, as she tries to shake the dirty thoughts away. 

_He's 15 years my senior and my sensei, don't be a dumb bitch_ , she chides herself.

"I'll be sore tomorrow, but other than that I'm A-okay~," she drawls out the last word and connects her thumb and index into a circle, holding her last three fingers straight; a closed smile supporting the gesture.

"Stretch well tonight then. We'll be moving just as fast tomorrow."

Her closed smile widens a little bit as she rolls her eyes and bends down to touch the dry ground, stretching her hamstrings and calves. He's still a hard-ass instructor. There's no doubt about it.

In minutes, Kakashi had gathered enough firewood to pile in the center of the clearing and after using a simple jutsu, he had a fire burning in no time. YN sits down near the blaze, closing her eyes as she soaks up the radiating heat into her bones. It's relaxing to bask in the warmth the fire emits but it doesn't beat a hot shower. After sweating all day with the fabric clinging to the dirt and grime of her skin knowing she won't be able to remove it for a few days, she silently nods thinking, ah yes, a hot shower and a washing machine is in fact much better.

She straightens one leg out to the side as the other is folded in and stretches her adductor muscles, leaning over the straight leg and pressing her nose to her knee. Kakashi sits down, watching her stretch out her inner thigh muscles through the crackling fire.

He hadn't spoken to her about their mission as much as he wanted to, but then again, there's not much you can say while running at full speed. He's also looking forward to their upcoming conversation as much as she is, zero to none.

He has to do it sooner or later though, and the sooner he does it, the sooner he can stop worrying about it. No matter how much he wants to get it over with, it's already late and not the ideal time to continue, but there's one more thing he wants to know.

"YN, you never answered my question I asked you earlier today," he states as he grabs a pack of smoked beef from his bag.

He sees her stiffen, her eyebrows raise and a slight pout forms on her lips, making her look like a duck, as her eyes dance everywhere but him. "I don- I don't know what you're talking about."

She does. She does know what he's talking about. And she knows that he knows that she knows what he's talking about.

"You informed me that you've had sex before but never answered whether or not you became familiar with the instinctive feeling of sex. Y'know, how it made you feel from...er....being nude, the stimulation of certain body parts, arousal, and finally orgasming." He tries to meet her gaze through the flickering flames of the fire, his own ears are turning pink from the descriptive explanation he gave.

YN's face involuntarily scrunches in distaste and humiliation when the memory of her first and only time having sex unwillingly flashes through her mind. "Is it necessary to know?"

She tentatively peers at Kakashi through her lashes, the dancing flames casting shadows across her hesitant face.

Kakashi doesn't want the details that can conjure up images of this young woman, his former student, having sex in his mind, but he has a duty to fulfill and in order to fulfill it, he needs to know what she knows.

"It is. I have to make sure you're ready to perform your role. Having sex doesn't necessarily mean you're comfortable with intimate touching and or experiencing...er...pleasure." For his sake, he prays that she has experienced everything.

YN switches to her left leg, straightening it out and bending over it to hide her cringe.

"Let's just say...no," she suggests, not wanting to divulge the most mortifying moment of her life.

However, 'no' isn't going to cut it.

"No to what exactly? When you had sex, you felt a man's touch, correct?"

She squeezes her eyes closed before muttering, "no."

Confusion and then panic begins to settle in Kakashi's stomach. "You didn't? You weren't- were you?"

She folded both of her legs, shaking her head vigorously as she waved both hands in front of her. "Oh God no! It was consensual."

Kakashi almost lets out a sigh of relief, tension visibly loosening from his lean frame but the confusion was still there.

"Then surely, you must've touched a man intimately."

She bites her lip nervously as she picks at her nails, "no."

For a moment there's no sound besides the chirping of the insects and rustling of the leaves overhead. YN cracks one eye open too see if her sensei has abandoned all hope and fled into the woods knowing this will end in disaster. However, he's still sitting across from her with the flickering orange and red flames trying to touch the inked sky in between them; looking at her with an expression she can't decipher with no help from his mask.

"I see." He finally says after an excruciatingly long moment, his voice betraying nothing of how he truly feels.

They continue to stare at each other through the veil of the fire, neither moving even when a piece of wood pops deep within the flames and sends a gust of orange sparks into the night.

"Did you undress for him sensually before you did the act?"

She pulls at the patch of grass in between her legs, "no, I did not." After all, it was dark.

Please tell me, "you've experienced pleasure during sex though?"

She rolls her eyes, "Kakashi, what do you think?" Her words have a biting edge to it. Her awful one time experience only brings her shame.

"Just humor me."

"Once again, no I did not. We didn't even kiss." _Does he want to know how he came in the condom after two minutes while moaning another girls' name too? Or why I now know he wanted absolute darkness and not to touch or be touched?_

She breaks away eye contact to shield herself from any judgement he must be making.

"Have you ever kissed someone before?"

"Besides the motherly kiss from my mom?" She humourlessly scoffs. "No."

"Have you ever touched a man intimately before or him touching you in that way?"

Their eyes lock through the flickering flames once more as she says, "only for medical purposes have I touched a man intimately but to answer your questions, no to both."

Kakashi can see the anger raging inside YN's (eye color) eyes, mixed with sadness as well. Maybe it's sadness for her first time being only a fuck and an awful one at that. Or maybe it's sadness because her only experiences with men will be her seen as an object meant to please and not the gentle, loving caress of someone who cares about her. Maybe it's both but Kakashi doesn't know for sure and he doesn't think he wants to. All he knows is that this mission will be as difficult as he anticipated. He will have to start from the very bottom of things and he needs time to sort out his thoughts.

"Thank you for being honest with me, YN." He says gently, the narrowed eyes that were once boring into his one-eyed gaze softens. He picks himself up off the ground and stands tall– well as tall as his slouch allows. "I know it was difficult to share that information with me."

He resists the urge to reach over and ruffle her hair like he used to do. She's no longer a child and the sooner he realizes it, the better, especially for what's waiting for her at the club.

The female kunoichi nods silently, averting her gaze back to the crackling fire. She doesn't want to see the look in his eye, even though he's never been the one to show pity or sympathy, she still fears for what she could see; disappointment? Disgust? She pulls her knees to her chest tightly winding her arms around them and props her chin on top.

The fire reflects in her (eye color) eyes and Kakashi can remember when there was a similar fire burning deep within her, one that began as an out of control spark searching for anything to burn to ashes in its desire to stay lit when she first became his student. It grew under his tutelage and into a mighty roar under Tsunade. It's her desire to become a strong and capable kuniochi as well as medic, but above all, a better person. She's still the same headstrong and passionate girl who used to put Naruto and Sasuke into headlocks and knock their heads together, but that roaring blaze is now of a woman's. Kakashi smiles under his mask, maybe she's not the little girl she used to be.

"Get some rest, YN," he says calmly and puts his hands in his pockets. "I'll check the perimeter before I settle down."

"Okay," she whispers, still unable to meet his gaze.

She watches his lean yet muscular figure as it disappears into the looming darkness that surrounds them, sighing to herself. Flashes of that night creep up, and she can only grimace in embarrassment.

If only she didn't go to him...maybe Kiba would've been better? Choji even! She coils her hair into a bun and lays down on the ground.

At that time, she was desperate. Kiba and Choji's teams were on a mission and wouldn't be back for weeks. Naruto was like a brother to her and she knew Hinata was pining for him anyways. Sasuke was gone so he was already ruled out. Rock Lee still harbored his undying love for Sakura...

And then there's Neji. He never spoke of another girl and was awfully nice to YN – as nice as he can get. That night she needed to feel wanted, and had inquired the Hyuga if he'd be willing to partake in sexual activities with her and he had agreed. The only conditions he had was no kissing and no touching.

Her self-esteem was shamefully low, appalling even. She thought maybe losing her virginity to a guy would somehow assure her that she's worthy and wanted and not a complete fuck up.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. If only I had kept my legs closed._

After she had unceremoniously slept with Neji, she felt worse than before she took her clothes off. That hole in her chest wasn't filled and only felt larger almost as if it was eating away at her. It took years later until she became satisfied with herself. The Fourth War allowed her to gain more confidence in her combat abilities, not so much her medical ability sadly. However, she has been practicing and has grown with the aid of Tsunade and Shizune.

 **Meanwhile, Kakashi finishes a** large circular walk around the makeshift camp. He found nothing threatening, only the howls of what sound like wild dogs a few miles off in the distance.

Thankfully, it took a while to scope out the perimeter giving him time to process the many thoughts running in through his mind.

Even though YN technically isn't a virgin, he still classifies her as one since she never fully experienced the blissful process of release or even gratifying her senses' appetite for visuals, sounds, tastes, smell, and touch that stems from physical intimacy. The thought of her being used as a living fleshlight for some horny kid makes the laid-back man grimace. It only makes teaching her more difficult, morally as well. He hates the idea of throwing his untainted and pure student to the insatiable savages lurking in the strip clubs. He's going to have to make sure he teaches her how to subdue and appease them while also teaching her to firmly set boundaries while doing it.

It makes him ill knowing that her only experiences with men will be with her exploiting her body. He runs a hand through his unruly hair mildly frustrated that it had to be YN. He hopes that this mission doesn't extinguish the light in her eyes or dim her beaming smile.

His footsteps silently thud against fallen leaves and the soft ground, bringing him back to the clearing. He sees a smaller sleeping figure next to the fire.

Quietly, he makes his way over to the (brunette, blonde, redhead, etc). He gathers a few more branches and throws it in the burning fire before sitting next to her. The flickering light bounces off her face and he studies her features without the worry of YN catching him.

Her face is still youthful and bright, unmarred by the hard lines that comes with stress and age. Her skin glows in the luminous orange light, no more is the adolescent acne that plagued her (skin tone) cheeks and chin. She looks as every bit the fairy tale princess, but Kakashi knows better. YN is anything but delicate, maybe her feelings if someone yells at her, but her retaliation can be brutal, maybe even on par with Itachi's Tsukuyomi – a powerful genjutsu he had the unfortunate luck of experiencing.

Even so, can she pull this off? Can someone like her, innocent yet touched, be able to portray the hardened and jaded stripper willing to do anything for a man as long as he pays upfront?

Can her (small/ big) (eye color) eyes turn sultry and feminine fingers beckon any drooling thug to pay some green and try his luck? Kakashi hopes so since he's going to be the one instructing her.

He watches the steady rise and fall of her side and with every breath his eyes are drawn to her lips. Slightly parted and glistening from the vaseline she brings everywhere. They look soft and supple, soundlessly coaxing him for a kiss.

_A woman's lips._

As soon as it came, the thought went, leaving the silver haired man perplexed to where ever the hêll that had come from. However, it sparks hope in the sensei. If she can unconsciously light even the faintest flicker of desire in him, maybe there's a chance after all. Unfortunately, it leaves him in a condundrum of fancying something he can't and shouldn't want in the first place.

It's all so confusing. Feeling that even Icha Icha won't soothe him, he decides to rest and fall in a light slumber, letting the fire burn itself into ashes throughout the night.


	3. Chapter | 03

The dark blue sky blended into lighter shades of midnight blue until a dim orange broke over the horizon. Long gone are the twinkling stars that faintly illuminated the forest but now an iridescent glow peaks through the forest canopy.

In minutes, the shinobi pair destroy all evidence of their camp and are speeding towards Konoha's borders.

Judging by the breakneck speed that Kakashi paces for the two, YN presumes that he's not planning on elaborating on last night's awkward one-sided exchange of 20 questions. Relief floods her body, however she wonders what Kakashi thinks of it all. Between his mask and his ability to hide his emotions under his stoic expression, YN isn't able to discern any of his thoughts or what he intends to do about it.

YN's curious about what he thinks, but not quite curious enough to ask him and risk further humiliation. So, she continues to jump from tree branch to mossy tree branch.

One hour became two, two become four, four became six and just when YN doesn't think she's able to continue, Kakashi calls for a break.

Even while eating lunch, Kakashi doesn't try to strike up a conversation; much to the dismay of YN's wishes for some kind of normalcy. Instead, she focuses on getting food into her system and using as little chakra as she can to maintain her reserves.

As soon as they finish, they're on the move again; green leaves whizzing past their heads.

Hours pass without a single word being uttered from Kakashi's lips. YN wonders if she had made him mad from what she told him last night? It's not like what she went through is uncommon, right?

After all, last night was the first time she spoke about losing her virginity, she didn't even say anything to the girls because she didn't want to make it a bigger deal than it actually was.

Plus, she had no ill feelings towards Neji. YN was the one who initiated the awkward conversation of asking if he'd be willing to be her first – and last – time. _It wasn't his fault I didn't enjoy it_. And the fact that he died shortly after in the Fourth Great Ninja War, exposing the Hyuga just felt disrespectful to his memory.

The silence begins to grow from comfortable to awkward quickly – well, from YN's perspective at least. Even though she's not particularly looking forward to her training, she knows that walking into the club unprepared, basically being thrown to the wolves, would be worse than talking about perverse topics with her teacher.

When the silence becomes too much for her she says, "Hey Kakashi-senpai." Lengthening the distance of her next stride so she's side by side with him. "When are you gonna train me? You haven't said a word to me all day."

The silver haired man gives her a quizzical glance and YN swears she sees his lips turn up in a smile from under his mask. "Why? Are you eager for a lesson?"

She snorts as she bounds for another branch. "Not particularly but it's your job, isn't it? I don't want to show up to Kabukichō unprepared and possibly eaten alive."

Kakashi chuckles softly, "well, like you said, this isn't the type of green that could persuade you to take your clothes off."

YN becomes flustered as she pats her closed lips in chastisement; _me and my big mouth_.

"Not to mention, we're making excellent time and if we keep it up, we can make it to a small town at the country's border soon. We won't have to sleep outside and I can start your training then. Deal?"

"Deal." She nods, both excited at the prospects of having a hot bath and sleeping in a bed but also nervous at the idea of being alone with Kakashi in a private room, having to do anything he deems necessary for her training.

"Great, in the meantime think over what I said yesterday. The parts about confidence and being in control will come into play."

She nods again and falls back behind him, and even though Kakashi can't see her, he can tell she's nervous. On one side, it's lucky for him that when YN gets nervous, she stops talking and tends to resign into her own head but that's also her downfall – she overthinks. There's only so much he can say before she has to put his theories to the test and apply them, so getting her out of her head may be difficult.

Doing that is added onto the long list of things he doesn't want to do for this mission but dwelling on it would solve nothing; so he clears his mind and focuses on traveling to their next destination – Konoha's borders.

**Twinkling stars litter across** the midnight blue sky, a thin crescent moon hangs in the midst. The sun had set hours ago, and when Kakashi said a small town, he wasn't kidding. There is virtually no one out, a few rural houses have their shutters closed but small flickers of light can be seen through the cracks of the wooden blinds.

YN is surprised there's an inn on the almost deserted dirt path, assuming they rarely had visitors. However, the fare is cheap and walking towards their room she notes that it seems overall clean and somewhat maintained as compared to other seedy motels and inns she's stayed in before.

There's even an indoor shower and she secretly prays it has hot water – some of the inns have outdoor showers that she's not really fond of since their only setting seems to be cold, even in winter.

Inside the small room sits a single bed and a wooden chair in the corner beside the bathroom; but that's fine. She's often had to share a bed with either Sasuke or Sakura since Sasuke used to hate how loudly Naruto snored and he didn't want to be so close to Sakura. Sometimes, all four would share a bed and Naruto would end up spooning Sakura and being kicked off the bed with a nasty bump forming on his head. She even had to share with Kakashi on a few occasions, all uneventful. Like Sasuke, he laid perfectly still like a mummy and kept his hands to himself.

Nostalgia warms her body while a tiny smile plays on her lips.

_Things have definitely changed._

YN shrugs off her pack and slings it onto the made bed, flopping onto the firm mattress while she toes off her sandals and flexes her aching feet.

Kakashi takes off his own pack and places it on the lone wooden chair, "You can take a shower first, YN. I'll go get us something to eat while you do."

She closes her eyes briefly, reveling in the feel of relaxing her muscles and asks, "you sure? I can always get the food instead while you relax in the shower."

Soft amusement can be heard in his deep, laid back tone. "Yes, I'm sure. Go before I make you."

The thought of Kakashi stripping YN of her dirty, sweat encrusted clothes fills her head and she touches her heated cheeks with the backs of her hands. "Aye, aye cap'n."

Taking her bag, she locks the door behind her and turns the shower onto the hottest temperature. In minutes, the room fills with steam and YN strips herself of her smelly outfit, taking it inside the shower so she can wash it and let it air dry for tomorrow. She figures there's probably not a laundry facility in the building.

As streams of water run down her (skin tone) skin, gathering in the hallows of her collarbones, sliding between the valley of her breasts and down her stomach, she thinks to herself, _I'm not getting out anytime soon_ and sighs in contentment.

When Kakashi returns to their room with two large subs in his hands, he's not surprised to find that YN is still in the shower. She's not the first female he knows that can spend all day in there but he doesn't understand why. The only times he's spent an hour in the bathroom is when there's a woman with him but he doubts that's YN's case. Yes, she has hair to wash and legs to shave but it shouldn't take this long, should it?

He sits in the wooden chair, taking a bite out of his sandwich and gives up on trying to understand the female psyche. He's known her for so long yet he still has trouble figuring her out sometimes.

By the time he hears the water shut off, he has already finished his sub and is now licking the mayonnaise off his fingers.

Steam billows out of the bathroom behind her as she walks into the small room. Her hair is down, water droplets dripping from the ends of her (hair color) hair onto the baggy, oversized shirt that tucks into loose fitting shorts that tie around her waist.

"Took you long enough," he teases. "I thought you drowned and I'd have to rescue you."

YN sticks her tongue out at him and snatches her sandwich and a white paper bag out of his outreached hands. For some reason, the image of her slipping and hitting her head and Kakashi breaking down the door to scoop her wet, naked body into his strong arms fills her head. She aggressively unwraps the tin foil off her turkey and cheese sub and sits down on the bed, shooing the steamy picture away. _Where the hell is this coming from?_

He stands up from the chair, still staring at YN in confusion. "Did your hair grow?"

She beams up at her teacher, warm cheeks pushing her eyes closed. "Yeah!" She wiggles her fingers of her free hand, "I used chakra to stimulate my hair follicles in the shower. I uhh... I thought longer hair would add to my uhh.. y'know... sex appeal." She mutters the last two words sheepishly and fingers her now waist length hair.

He hums and nods, turning to pull clean clothes from his bag. "There's a slice of chocolate cake inside too."

Her (eye color) eyes light up, "chocolate cake?!"

"It was the last slice and when I saw it, I thought of you." He gives her a jovial eye crease before closing the door to the bathroom.

A small squeal passes her lips as she opens the bag and indeed, there's a slice of layered chocolate cake with hardened chocolate bits on the back. She can't tell if he's being a smartass or just being nice. Maybe a little bit of both; either way, she's willing to look past whatever he's doing since he bought her chocolate.

She bites into her sandwich to discover it's more than just a plain turkey and cheese sandwich. There's pieces of curated salami and pepperoni, roasted vegetables, mayonnaise, and black pepper.

She groans in delight as the sandwich melts in her mouth. This is so much better than beef jerky and granola bars.

She pulls out a few napkins to wipe her face and fingers that's been smeared with mayonnaise and sees the slice of cake that looks absolutely divine.

She almost finishes it when Kakashi comes out of the bathroom in black joggers, and a black sleeveless tank top with his mask attached. Tendrils of damp, silver hair stick to his forehead.

YN can't remember a time where she's seen Kakashi without his long sleeved shirt before. Even on blazing hot days, he's always worn it. The hot springs were never coed, thankfully. She's always been insecure about her body, especially when compared to Sakura's model thin one. Not to mention, she'd rather not be naked inside of a hot tub with her teacher and two hormonal teenage boys.

Now, she can see his slightly faded ANBU tattoo on his left bicep that all members wore. Pale scars litter his arms from previous battles, some massive while others are minor. She notices that despite his lean appearance, his arms are nothing but tight, corded muscles, not that it should be surprising since he's already demonstrated his massive strength. If just his arms look like this, what does the rest of him look like?

She schools her raised eyebrows when he asks, "how's the cake?"

Her eyes focus on where his gaze is resting – the last bite of chocolate cake that's being pinched between three of her fingers.

Suddenly, devious thoughts begin to formulate in her head. "Delicious! You should try some!" She suggests, stretching out her arm towards the copy nin.

He chuckles softly and shakes his head, "sweets aren't really my thing."

She waves it around and lifts her brows up, "but you're gonna be missing ooouuuttt!" She drawls in a sing song voice.

He slowly straightens and walks over to YN, melting the smile off her face and her eyes growing wide. He grabs her wrist and lifts it so his lips are practically brushing the tips of her fingers. YN resists the urge to swallow hard as he maintains eye contact with her.

He quickly lowers his mask and snatches the last bite, his warm mouth enveloping her finger tips. It happened so fast that by the time YN realizes what happened, his mask is already back in place.

She scrambles away from her teacher, heat crawling from her neck to her hairline. "Y-y-you!"

Kakashi crosses his arms and hums in thought. "You're right, it is delicious. Thank you, YN."

She points at him from across the bed, "Y-you can't do that! That's so unfair!" Her brows furrow in a glower, "so sneaky!"

A chuckle bubbles from his chest at her pouting face. He knew all along that her plan was to finally see him without his mask. "What's unfair? I specifically recall you giving me the last bite."

"Yeah but! I didn't even get to see anything!"

He points to himself and stuffs one hand into his joggers, "I'd be a terrible shinobi if you did."

Her bottom lip protrudes as her face scrunches, she couldn't argue with him there.

"Speaking of being a shinobi," Kakashi continues, "I think it's time to start your training before we turn in for the night."

Her pout disappears as she crawls back over the bed and sits on the edge with her back slouched, resembling that of her teacher – chin in palm.

"Just now when I got close, you got nervous to the point of even distancing yourself further. I can already tell that you don't like your personal space being invaded. That little test has given me some insight on what we need to work on."

YN inwardly grumbles, _that's the last time I offer any of my desserts to him. What a loser for using that as an opportunity to test me._

"We need you to get over that fear," he says seriously, crouching down so he can look into her eyes. "You need to be completely comfortable in exceedingly close proximity to men, especially in a sensual atmosphere."

YN straightens her back, not liking where this is going.

She watches as he stands and walks over to the wooden chair. He pulls it into the middle of the room and sits down while looking at her steadily. He's not going to like this next part as much as she's not but it's a great way to give her hands on experience – literally.

He takes a deep breath and says, "YN, you're going to give me a lap dance."  
  


**Kakashi sits there, waiting** for an outburst or hands to start flying towards his face, despite knowing that Sakura is the more temperamental of the two.

Instead, YN sits unmoving, evenly staring back at him in silence. After a few moments she finally says, "Sorry, what? I think I misheard you."

"I'm pretty sure you heard me correctly."

More silence as they stare at each other with neither of them moving. 

Kakashi is a patient man but he simply can't wait all night for her.

"YN, I nee–"

"Hell to the no!" She puts a hand up to stop him from talking and shakes her head. "No, no, no, no, no.. nuh uh! Not gonna happen! Try again."

Kakashi sighs. _What was I thinking? Of course it's not going to be easy. Easy doesn't fit in with the theme of this whole damn mission!_

"YN, would you rather practice on a perfect stranger? I'm pretty sure I can find some one who's willing to help but I doubt they'd be a gentleman about it."

Her mouth gapes open with wide eyes and furrowed brows as she splutters, "wh-wh-. I'm not giving you a lap dance, Kakashi! Out of the fucking question, my guy."

"I'm in charge of your training and you're going to do what I say. Understood?" He states firmly while still trying to be gentle about it. He doesn't want her to resent him for this but he's tired of arguing with her.

She crosses her arms and stares at him defiantly but after seeing the stern expression on his masked face, she knows that being a brat will only backfire. After all, he's still a hardass and can Chidori her ass if he wants to.

Without thinking, she changes tactics as her self preservation mode kicks in.

She crosses her legs and places her hands on her knee, looking down and away from his face. "Sensei," she begins with innocence dripping from her tone and looks at him through her lashes. "Y'know I've always been a visual leaner..." she pauses to gauge his reaction before continuing, "maybe you should do it instead and I'll just learn from you." She finishes with a bright smile as she draws tiny circles on her knee.

Kakashi narrows his eyes as he watches her. _Is she even aware of what she's doing?_

"No."

She pouts again, "Please? That's the only way I'll learn! I have no idea what I'm doing!"

He sighs again and leans his head back while running a hand through his damp, messy hair. "That's why I'm going to teach you but you don't need me to demonstrate for you to learn. Now get over here."

"Kakashi..." she starts but doesn't know what more she can say. Every fiber of her being rebels against this but she knows she'll have to do it eventually and she'll be safer with Kakashi than any other man.

"You don't have to take anything off," he assures. "I'm just gonna coach you through some basic things and have you get used to being this close to me, okay?"

She takes in a deep breath and walks in front of her teacher, fiddling with the hem of her oversized shirt. She stands in front of him awkwardly, looking at anything but him. "Okay, now what?"

"An important part of seduction is making the man believe you like what you're doing to them, even if you hate every second of it. You can't let them know, okay?"

"Alright," YN says, still looking at the floor next to him.

"Now sway your hips a little bit."

YN chews the skin off her bottom lip, certain she's going to die of embarrassment, and meticulously moves her hips side to side.

"Good, now a little bigger."

She only slightly increases her movement, much to the dismay of Kakashi since it seems like she'll need help with this.

Without warning, he places his hands on her hips and guides them in slow, luxurious sways. He's surprised to find the curve of her hips to be quite prominent under his palms, unseen by her baggy attire.

YN gasps at the sudden contact and slaps his hands away as she steps back and away from him. His hands fall until his elbows rest on his knees. Before he can apologize at how forward he was, she runs her hands over her hair and twists it into a rope, letting it settle between her shoulder blades.

"I- I'm sorry." She steps back in front of him with a drastically hot face. "I was just a bit uncomfortable."

"That's precisely what we're working on but let's work on you setting boundaries while we're at it."

She tries to steel her nerves and nods.

"If a man gets more handsy than you're comfortable with, remove his hands and place it back to his sides and firmly tell him not to touch you while maintaining a flippant attitude."

His large hands hover over her hips, his gaze asking her for permission to touch her as he says, "Try it on me."

YN takes a calming breath as she feels his hands softly rest over the curvature of her hips. She battles the uneasy feeling settling in her stomach and her innate reaction to keep her lips closed to allow him to touch her however he wishes, even if she is apprehensive about it.

She firmly wraps her hands around his wrists and pushes his hands back to his sides with a kittenish smile not betraying her pounding heart at being assertive. "I didn't give you permission to touch me, pretty boy."

Kakashi's silver brow raises in surprise. "Pretty boy?"

_Where did she get that from?_

Her flirtatious smile morphs into a sheepish one. She fiddles with the hem of her shorts as she informs him, "I heard Ino call Sai that once."

"I see," he says understandingly. "You did very well, keep that same attitude if you ever have to put a man in his place, okay?"

She nods, pride for herself swelling in her chest. "Okay."

"Alright let's move on. I'm going to put my hands back on your hips to help guide your body to sway more dramatically."

His hands rest on her hips again as he proceeds to move her. The movement feels ridiculously huge, she fears she only looks foolish but nevertheless, she allows him to control her since he has more knowledge in this area than she does.

"Good, YN. Now try doing this on your own." He states, releasing her and sitting back in his chair to observe her.

She keeps the slow swivel of her hips but the rest of her body stays stiff and unmoving, her arms lay lamely at her sides.

"Do something with your arms," he instructs gently. "Try playing with your hair."

YN hesitates before feathering her fingers over her long locks.

His brows furrow, "Do it again but tilt your head back as if you're in the shower."

She casts a strange glance towards Kakashi but does as she's told while keeping the unfaltering sway of her hips. She lets her head fall back and runs her fingers through it as she pretends to wash shampoo out of her (hair color) tresses.

Unbeknownst to her, the tilt of her head created an arch in her back which pushes out her chest and bum. Kakashi's surprised at the suddenly appetizing picture she just created. _Maybe she's not as bad at this as I thought._

"You're doing really well, YN." He says sincerely. "Run your hands down your sides."

She does, but it's a brief, impersonal touch as if she's uncomfortable with the feel of her own skin.

The silver haired jonin notices and shakes his head. "Do it again but slower this time. Act like you love the feel of your own body. This action will make the man you're dancing for imagine that it's his hands on you instead. If you pretend like you're enjoying it, then he's gonna picture himself liking the way you feel too."

Her hips still as she stares at him with diffidence. "Are you asking me to.... _touch_ myself? You _want_ me to... _touch_ myself?"

She knows the way it came out sounds so wrong on so many levels, but it is what it is.

"Yes," he says calmly. "And I want you to like it."

She scrunches her face and mutters, "what a perv," with a playful smile twitching at her lips. Her hands find the sides of her chest and she smooths them down her sides.

"That why I got this mission," he jokes with a smile as he observes her.

YN's laughter wraps around him as he notices that her hands flare around her bust and he realizes she may have more curves that he hadn't given time to notice beforehand. Then again, she always wore that brown shawl that hung over her body like a drape, concealing any dip and curve she may posses.

Her hands move slowly as she seems to be really feeling the curves and dips of her figure, opposite of the empty fleeting touch she had done moments ago.

"Better. Now try it with the same arch in your back you did before."

The effects are immediate when she complies. Her (hair color) hair cascades down her back as she arches into her own hands.

"I feel like a fool." She says meekly, feeling like a stranger that's inhabiting her own body.

"You don't look like a fool." He replies genuinely. "You're doing perfectly fine."

YN sighs discouraged despite Kakashi's assurances. She still feels gawky as héll trying to be sexy, hoping that – like everything else – she can improve with practice.

"Repeat the same thing you just did but add your hips back into it." He commands.

The kunoichi begins to swing her hips again, almost as big as when Kakashi guided her. The action coupled with her wandering hands and arched back is enough to send a stab of heat in the jonin's gut, a very _unwelcome_ stab of heat.

"Perfect," he says. "That was rather quite sexy."

YN has to swallow back a squeal of embarrassment as her face heats astronomically, looking away from her sensei.

She hides her face behind her hands, wishing the earth could just open up and swallow her whole. She can't remember if there ever was a time when someone called her sexy and she's not exactly sure how to act but compliments have always caused her mortification for some unknown reason.

Kakashi patiently waits in amusement as she gathers herself. "Alright, let's move on." He pats his thigh, "have a seat."

She furrows her brows and starts to look around him while still rooted in her spot.

"What are you looking for?"

"Your mind, it seems like you've lost it."

His lips involuntarily lift, "Funny." He decides to help her along by leaning forward and grabbing her hips, pulling her towards him causing her to straddle his lap while she faces him.

The squeal that desperately wanted to escape finally does as she falls against him and finds herself staring into his mismatched eyes, "Kakashi!" She reflexively grips his biceps as her body molds into his.

"This is what we have to get you comfortable with," he says, his calloused hands keeping a firm grip on her thighs, in case she decides to book it.

"This is so weird," she whines, turning away and burying her face in her hands, hoping her cheeks could calm down already.

"Just relax," he commands. "We'll take things slow. We can stay like this until you're ready for more."

After the words left his mouth, Kakashi can feel his own face grow warm for he remembers saying the exact same words to a woman in bed. For a moment, his mind played a terrible trick on him by replacing that woman's face with YNs'. Her (small, big) (eye color) eyes clouded with lust as she feels him penetrate her slowly. He quickly banishes the thought away, clenching his jaw. He can't possibly think of his student in that way. She's giving him her trust and he's determined to be every bit the gentleman he told her he'd be.

At first, YN sat stiffly in his lap, until he gradually feels the tension in her body drain out of her. He can feel her heart pounding madly against her own ribs and is tempted to run a soothing hand down her back but refrains in worry that the movement will cause more harm than good.

"YN, I want you to put your hands on my shoulders." He instructs gently and she does so without a word but makes it clear that she has absolutely zero intentions of showing her face to him.

"Look at me." He directs. "Your face is very pretty and men will want to look at it."

If her face could redden even more, it would. Her stomach flutters at his words, not helping her situation. Instead, her features contort in embarrassment and her hands begin to shake. Touching her teacher is quickly becoming overwhelming and Kakashi can sense it.

"You don't take compliments well, do you?" He rhetorically asks.

She shakes her head and squeaks out a no.

_Another thing to work on._

"Well, you are very pretty so we're going to have to work on it because the men will most likely throw a few your way in the first ten minutes of seeing you."

The kunoichi nods and takes a deep breath, slowly exhaling as she bores holes into Kakashi's neck with her gaze. Her hot breath warms the skin at the base of his throat with each exhale. She repeats it a few more times, expelling her nerves and the butterflies given by Kakashi's words.

"Good girl," he praises, smiling gently under his mask. "Now I'm going to ask you to do a few things you won't like but they're pretty standard when giving a lap dance. Just do your best, alright?"

"Okay," she whimpers, trying to distract herself by staring in to his inactive Sharingan that she rarely gets to see.

"I want you to rub your body against me," he says feeling like every bit of the pervert YN had teasingly accused of him being. "Do it slowly and gently for now."

At his order, YN suddenly becomes aware at how close their bodies are, how warm his body is against hers, and how intimate their position is. It makes her want to run but she's also curious to know what it feels like to touch a man like this; how she should've been able to touch Neji.

Hesitantly, she slides up against him, letting her breasts run across the solid plane of his chest. Kakashi releases her thighs, his hands hovering over them for a second longer to catch her if she changes her mind and bolts.

Her movements become bolder as she continues to rub up and down. She begins to press down on his shoulders for leverage while using her hips to grind up and down, focusing more on her torso than the humiliating possibilities of what her hips are doing. Unable to look him in the eyes during such an intimate act, YN closes them and concentrates on the feeling of touching a man.

Her movements are still a bit clumsy, but he let her continue until she eventually found her own rhythm, rubbing herself against him like an overgrown cat. The feeling of the soft flesh of her breasts pressing against him through the thin fabric made him painfully aware that she's not wearing anything underneath. And though the ministrations of her hips are soft, subtly grinding against him, it successfully stirs a heat within the older man.

"You're doing well," he compliments, his voice a bit huskier than before. "If you wanted information from a man you're dancing for, now would be a good time to ask him questions since he'll most likely be distracted. Whisper it against his ear so he can feel your breath. Go ahead and try it on me."

YN's hands squeeze his shoulders and her hips falter a bit before resuming their grinding again as she leans forward, her mouth close to his ear.

"Is this okay?" She murmurs and Kakashi has to suppress a shiver that crawls down his body when her warm breath washes over him.

"Yeah, just like that." He grinds out. "Keep going."

"So, I can ask you anything I want?" Her voice is surprisingly low with a faint rasp, perfect for seduction.

"Sure," he says, his bare toes curling in the beige carpet and his fists balling at his sides.

Her fingers toy with his mask at the back of his head as she asks, "why do you always wear this mask of yours?"

Kakashi smirks at her question. He should've known she was going to ask this, it's been the biggest wonder of Team 7 for years.

"I'm trying to create a new trend for teachers." He smiles smugly under the black cloth, refusing to give her a straight answer.

"Sounds like you're _lying_." Her voice lowered even more at the last word and the silver haired man could have sworn he felt her lips brush the shell of his ear. Whether by accident or on purpose, he supposes she doesn't need any help with that.

Kakashi places his hands on her shoulders and pushes her back so she can see him, his fingers gripping her flesh a little tighter than necessary. He doesn't want to admit it, but she's worked him up more than he anticipated to be and it makes him feel a bit guilty despite it being a good sign for their mission.

"That was very good for your first time, YN. Did you notice the pitch in your voice when you were asking me questions? That's exactly how you should sound, low and sultry."

In all honesty, YN wasn't even aware of her pitch; she just didn't see a need to be loud right next to his ear.

YN squeals as she smiles brightly at the copy nin. "Me?! I was sultry?" She can hardly believe she was able to become such a thing and leans forward with her hands on his upper thighs, unaware of the intimate touch due to her drowning in amazement.

He chuckles at her wonder and stares into her (eye color) eyes that are full of light, answering, "yes. I'm quite impressed and since you're doing so well, I'm gonna ask you to do one more thing."

"What?" A few silky tendrils of (hair color) hair escape from behind her shoulders and rests between the two shinobi.

"You're going to uh....rub your tits in my face."

Her back straightens, the beaming smile now dimming and her brows furrowing. "What?" She studies his covered face to see if he's joking but when she can't discern his expression, she pleads with his heterochromia eyes. "You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was but it's what women do when performing a lap dance."

Her eyes narrow and her body tense in preparation of running but his hands quickly grab her hips and keep her in place on his lap.

"I'm serious, YN." He says evenly. "I wouldn't ask this to humiliate you or take advantage of you; that's the last thing I want to do. But if a man has tight lips, doing this might just help him loosen up. Almost every club has a rule that states that the man cannot touch you while you dance for him and the same rule applies to me."

She studies him for a few more moments, uncertain of what to feel. The heat of his hands are burning holes into the fabric of her shirt and singing her skin. If she felt like a fool while swinging her hips and arching her back, she doesn't want to know how she'll feel rubbing her tits in his face. In her fucking teacher's face. She doesn't think she's ready for this, he’ll she wasn't ready for any part of this mission but he's never lied to her before.

Finally, she pushes down his shoulders and lifts her hips off his lap so her breasts are level with his face.

"Don't you tell a fucking soul about this or I'll learn Chidori just to kill your ass." She threatens before pressing her chest against him.

"On my honor as a shinobi." Comes his muffled replyas he finds himself buried in the softness of YN's breasts.

Unsure of what to do, she pulls back slightly and pushes forward again.

"Don't be so aggressive unless you know for a fact that your customer likes it like that," he says and pushes her away slightly. "You don't want to suffocate them."

"Wouldn't that be a good way to go, though?" She teases.

A chuckle rumbles from his chest, "for some, maybe."

She hums and shifts so her left breast can rub against his right cheek. I wonder if he likes it rough, she thinks but quickly slams the door on that thought. There's more important questions she needs answers to.

"Better?" She asks as she begins to slide up and down.

"Much," is all Kakashi can say because she's doing much better than he expected – a little too well in his personal opinion – and his body is becoming increasingly hotter with every movement.

He imagines how silky her breasts are under her dark green tee and how they would actually look. The second these traitorous thoughts cross his mind, he drives them away, only for them to persistently return as she continues to press her soft mounds against his cheeks and bury his face inside the valley of her breasts.

"Can you tell me why you wear that mask again?" Her voice takes on the low, sultry tone but this time it sent a flare directly towards his groin.

"Haven't you heard?" He pants out, noticing that he's no longer able to control his breathing as much as he would like to. "I have fish lips and buck teeth, it's quite tragic."

YN bites her bottom lip to stop herself from cackling but his shallow breathing quickly overrides her thoughts. As a medic, she's well aware of the side effects of arousal. Even though she's somewhat aware that she may be turning him on, she's desperate to answer the question that plagued Team 7 since it formed.

"Why don't we try again and you tell me the truth this time." She insists, her breast straying dangerously close to Kakashi's mouth.

"If you're uh..... relentless in you're questioning.... they'll know something's up and will become suspicious, especially if they are guilty." The older jonin is finding it hard to keep his thoughts gathered when he can feel a pulsing in his crotch and is trying his hardest to keep blood out of that specific region.

YN huffs, which causes her chest to push forward slightly, at his professionalism and lack of relenting.

"Am I gonna have to say 'pretty please'?" She grumbles.

Kakashi feels something small and hard drag across his cheek and it takes him a moment to realize it's YN's hardened nipple! Evidently, all that friction has caused her body to react as well and her flimsy tee does little to nothing to hide the effects. The thought of her erected nipples rubbing along his face, especially so close to his mouth where a mere turn of his head would allow him to flick it with his pink tongue and suck on it through the thin fabrics, is too much to bear. He instantly lost his grip on his carefully monitored self control and can feel the strain of his joggers as an erection swells between his thighs.

"YN... that's uh... that's enough," he pants and tries to push her away.

YN mistakes his intentions and lowers herself onto his lap again, only to be harshly thrown off of him and onto the floor as Kakashi jumps up from his seat and quickly turns around.

"Is- is everything okay?" She asks dubiously. "Did I do something wrong?" She stares at his back in puzzlement.

"No," he growls and rubs his masked mouth in frustration. "You did everything right... a little too right and uh.... my body reacted without my permission."

Her eyes widen as it finally hits her. "O- oh..." is all she can say and hesitates between turning around to give him more privacy or seeing the actual effects she had on him. She opts for the former option and gives him more privacy as she fingers the beige carpet and draws random patterns. "I'm sorry."

He sighs, "I should be the one to apologize, YN. I thought I could control it. I didn't mean to embarrass you but just know that when you do this on the mission, men will have no qualms in letting you know exactly how you make them feel, and you'll have to continue as if nothing's wrong."

"I- I know." She says, ruffled by the whole situation.

A moment of stifling silence passes between them.

"Okay," Kakashi finally says. "You should get some sleep. I'll sleep on the floor tonight, it'll make things easier."

"No, no, it's okay. We can share the bed." The words left her mouth before she could filter them, but is it really okay to share a bed with someone after giving them an erection? She's not sure but Kakashi stuck to his word about being a gentleman so she feels that she shouldn't have any misgivings about sleeping next to him.

Kakashi simply told her that he'd come to bed when he's 'finished' and disappeared into the bathroom.

YN's left to feel lost and confused as she climbs into bed, peeling back the faded blue sheets and tucking herself in. She fluffs her pillow and Kakashi's pillow, to try to ease the feelings stirring inside.

Yes, the lap dance was awkward and embarrassing but it wasn't as bad as she thought it'd be. This, however, is much, much worse. She doesn't even want to imagine her teacher masturbating on the other side of that door. She doesn't want to imagine his large calloused hands that had gripped her bare thighs or his corded muscles contracting under that tight black tank top. No, he's her teacher and to think of him as anything _other_ than her teacher is _so_ wrong!

She groans softly, pulling the sheets up to her chest and uncovering one leg. She lifts her hair to fan it over her pillow so she's not sleeping on it before turning off the lamp and snuggling into the mattress.

However, Kakashi had said she did well; she's not sure if he said it to make her feel better or because there was some truth to it – well.... she did produce arousal in him so that has to count for something, right? At least she did a half decent job but her elation is short lived, going back to thinking about how she turned on her teacher.

She buries her face in her pillow, eager to stop her mind from running in circles so she can sleep.

 **On the other side** of the door, Kakashi roughly grips the edge of the sink, his knuckles blanching under the pressure. _What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I that sad and depraved to be turned on by a little girl fifteen years my junior wiggling awkwardly in my lap?_

Even though he thinks the words, he knows they're untrue. YN is no longer a little girl in mind or body and the curves of her breasts and hips, proves it.... well, at least to his body anyways.

Even so, he's a little disgusted with himself for letting his body get the better of him. What she was doing is better than he anticipated but she's by no means an expert yet. She's still self-conscious and unsure and that needs to change before they get to the club in Kabukichō. Which means, they're going to have to do this again and if she is to get better, it's going to get more difficult to keep his body in check as well.

He turns on the rickety faucet, pulling down his mask and splashing cold water on his face. He stares at his reflection in the dirty mirror, water droplets trickle down his porcelain skin. Heterochromia eyes gazing back at him.

_You dirty... filthy... depraved old man._

The cold water did little to clear his thoughts and did absolutely nothing to the monster throbbing in his joggers; and using his hand to relieve the pain is out of the question.

He turns off the faucet and cranks on the shower knob instead, not adding a drop of hot water to the stream. Stepping in, his scarred skin protests against the onslaught of cold bullets piercing his flesh. He grits his teeth and holds onto the tiles of the shower stall, his head hanging low.

 _Tsunade_ , he thinks as he feels his erection wane, _you're the cruelest woman on this Earth. No man should have to endure this._


	4. Chapter | 04

Pale yellow and pink rays of dawn filter through the cracks of the wooden shutters. The dust that falls from dreams dance in the dim streaks, steadily being added upon as the two nin continue to sleep.

YN yawns; her foggy brain is vaguely aware of the fact that Kakashi hadn't woken her up yet. She mentally notes that she's currently laying face down, sprawled across the firm mattress with the faded blue sheets tangled around her limbs. She stretches her legs further, expecting to bump the warm body of Kakashi but is surprised when it slips and dangles off the side of the bed.

_Where is he?_

She cracks her eyes open, her vision blurred with sleep and listlessly searches for the higher ranked shinobi. She finds him taking residence on the beige floor with only a pillow; a blanket no where to be found.

 _Did I not leave enough room for him?_ She ponders, distinctly remembering how she purposefully left space for the man. Her brows furrow until the images from last night flash behind her eyes consecutively like a live photo album. Her eyebrows raise and a small 'o' shapes her lips in realization that he must've opted for the floor because of the unexpected event that occurred.

Somehow, YN had managed to arouse her sensei. Kakashi, the maven of literary erotica and all things dirty, had sprung an erection while she performed her very first lap dance.

A proud smile tries to form upon her face but she bites her bottom lip to keep it from spreading. She is immensely proud of herself for having received such a reaction from the nonchalant man with a possibly high sex tolerance. However, her conscience screams that she should be horrified that he was aroused because of her; and a small part of her truly is but that doesn't stop her mind from straying.

Since he was aroused by her, she wonders if he wanted to touch her the same way she was touching him? She recalls the harsh grip that dug into her soft skin. Was it to refrain his hands from wandering to other, unexplored areas of her body? If he, in fact, had these desires, what would he have done to her exactly? Would he have wanted to feel every inch of her? Would he want to know how she _tastes_? She doesn't know, but she has no doubt that whatever he chose to do, he'd be very, _very_ good at it.

She pauses the impure images to realize that not only are her cheeks flushed, but sparks of desire have ignited in her core at the idea of Kakashi reciprocating her touches. She tears her eyes away from the even lifts and falls of his chest to bury her face in the flat pillow, ashamed. An almost inaudible groan seeps from her mouth and into the pillow. She can't possibly think of him in such a way! It's wrong on so many levels!

Assuming he even had these desires, Kakashi is a professional and would never inappropriately touch her or even allow himself to think of her in such a way. It's only fair she grants him the same courtesy.

She untangles herself from the covers and slips out of bed, silently padding over to the bathroom, only to double back at the entrance. She snatches the blanket from the bed and lightly lays it on top of Kakashi's resting figure. _At least he'll be comfortable for the remainder of his slumber._

Once in the bathroom, she turns on the faucet, pipes creaking and groaning under the pressure and waits for a stream to trickle out. Carefully smearing toothpaste on her wooden handled toothbrush, thanks to Yamato, she realizes the difficulty of erasing the immoral and unclean thoughts of Kakashi. Recollections of his large, rough hands gripping her thighs and his abnormally husky voice painting her skin red with goosebumps and raised hairs unintentionally drift back to her, making her skin flush once more.

She swallows a giddy laugh at the sensation of satisfaction and pride as she spits out the toothpaste and rinses her mouth. She splashes the cold water onto her face to rid herself of these unwanted feelings and thoughts, and begins to lather the bar of soap that Hinata had gifted her a few months ago. She relaxes in the comforting scent of frankincense and rose that reminds her so much of home.

Suddenly, she stills when she senses someone watching her. She cleanses the bubbles from her eyes and turns to see Kakashi leaning a shoulder against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

The noisy pipes must've woken him up.

"Good morning," she greets softly with a tight lip smile, the pink tinted bubbles hiding her blushed cheeks fairly well. She mentally slaps herself for not being able to control her bodily functions as well as she should for a medic.

Bashfully, she peers at him through her water coated lashes, their gaze connecting across the small space between them. She's startled at the image that's reflecting back at her. Kakashi looks the worst she's ever seen him. He seems....haggard. Dark bags hang under his eyes as if he hadn't slept much, and his skin seems to be drawn from what she can guess of what's not enshrouded by his dämn mask. Even back in her genin days, there have been times where he would be on overnight watch and he still didn't look as bad as he does now. However, she suspects that his appearance and possible lack of sleep somehow relates to her little performance last night.

She bends to rinse the rest of the soap off, suddenly aware of heat being emitted on to her back. Tentatively, she lifts her eyes to the mirror, noticing Kakashi's body encasing her smaller frame as he bends over her to grab his toothbrush he left on the sink.

"Morning," he responds groggily, his bare arm brushes hers as he wets his brush under the low pressured stream.

She feels more heat crawling from her neck to her scalp, her heart thumping against her rib cage at the close proximity. To her relief, the heat radiating on to her is quickly replaced with cold air when he turns around to brush his teeth.

She spins to snatch the towel off the curtain rod and buries her face in the fluffy, white cloth. Inhaling deeply to calm her flustered nerves, a scent that's becoming a little too familiar for her liking, hits her. His earthy, woodsy scent clings to the faintly damp towel. Knowing it's bad enough that she wants to enjoy his fragrance for a little bit longer, she guiltily allows herself one more moment of drying her face before slinging it back over.

"Sleep well?" She asks, her voice coming out squeaky before she clears her throat and cringes at her blunder. She silently prays he didn't hear the crack in her voice and even if he did, that he'd be nice enough not to point it out.

"You okay over there?" He questions through a frothy mouth of toothpaste, his hip leaning against the wall.

_Damn it._

She clears her throat again to avoid another sign of frenzy, "y-yeah. Just a scratchy throat, I guess."

He gives her a "hmm.." in response.

She stands there awkwardly, waiting to see if he had anything more to say, only to be greeted by more silence. Taking the opportunity to escape the tiny bathroom, she hesitantly hovers her hands over his solid back as she squeezes between him and the sink. Whether to act as a buffer between them or in a shy attempt to touch him, she's not sure and she's too scared to delve in to it, afraid of what she'll find.

When the door shuts, YN lets out a breath, exhaling the suffocating tension from her body. She hears him spit into the sink and begin to wash his face. She begins to wonder again about what the hëll is under his mask that she can't be privy to?

Finger combing through her (hair color) hair in an endeavor to gently untangle any knots, theories of what he's hiding comes to the surface of her mind. _Does he really have fish lips or buck teeth? Maybe he has a skin condition?_ She snorts at her next conspiracy in incredulity, _maybe he's just too good looking he'll risk giving the whole population a nose bleed._

Whatever the reason, the rest of her thoughts and feelings are overcome by the uncomfortable vibe she received from their interaction. And, she wonders if he felt it too.   
  


**Kakashi can't remember a** time he's been this uncomfortable, not even when he was forced to read a sentence from Icha Icha aloud. And as a result, the sandman decided to skip over him last night. After shivering under the icy current, he redressed and exited the bathroom to find YN hanging off the side of the single bed. Mostly likely in an attempt to leave space for him.

He was surprised she hadn't fallen outright onto the floor from how much of her body was dangling and it made it clear that she didn't want any contact with him, which he had no qualms in obliging.

He treaded softly over to the bed with the sole intention of righting her. He wrapped his hands around the crook of her elbow and the back of her bent knee, gently pulling her back onto the mattress. Her smooth, soft skin was almost tempting him to touch her further and the faint light from the bathroom softening her features didn't help any. He almost lost his control once and he refused to chance it again, especially in bed with an appealing girl that sleeps like a clinging octopus.

He went back to turn off the light and then plucked his pillow, from what should've been his side of the bed, settling into the somewhat cushioned floor, unconcerned with the absence of a blanket. He's slept in worse conditions before anyways.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed enough for sleep to claim him but for some reason, it only evaded him more. He listened to the soft snores and the even breathing of YN, remembering how erratic her breaths became towards the ending of her dance. He couldn't help but wonder if it was from arousal or nerves that had done that to her and he had to remind himself that it was irrelevant anyways. So what if she got a little turned on in spite of herself? Anyone who's never felt the touch of a real m—

He completely annihilated the thoughts before the seed could even be planted. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ How could one little lap dance change his perception of her so drastically? Before, he didn't think YN had the specifications needed for this mission, not because she wasn't pretty, much to his chagrin it's obvious that she is, but because he couldn't see her ever channeling that side of her. And now he wanted to show her how a real man would touch her? How a simple caress could have her bod—

Angrily, he slammed the doors on his thoughts once again. In truth, he preferred to picture YN as the young genin that desperately wanted to prove herself because now, all she's proving is how she turned into a _woman_ , a _warm blooded woman_ ; and that revelation made him highly uncomfortable.

Kakashi tossed and turned for hours, battling his own mind, trying to retain the image of YN as the girl she's supposed to be. It wasn't until a few hours before a yellow ray broke over the horizon that he was claimed into a restless slumber. It resulted in him not waking up at the time he planned, causing him to be here, scrubbing his face to wash away the fatigue that still clutches onto him and catch up with the schedule he has mentally mapped out.

He can't shake the feeling that YN was waiting for something – for him to say something – before she left the bathroom. She hasn't been that fidgety since Team 7 first formed. He's aware that once the drowsiness wears off, the undeniable change in the atmosphere surrounding them will amplify tenfold.

He silently groans into his hands, not looking forward to the long day he knows lays ahead.  
  


**Confused. YN is utterly** and completely confused; that's the only way to describe it. A stifling, palpable tension hangs in the air between the two jonins, almost suffocatingly, at least in YN's view.

YN believed Kakashi's lack of socializing was due to him still trying to wake up; however, even after dressing in civilian clothes, eating breakfast, and walking for over an hour, he's still as talkative now as he was in the bathroom – zero to none. Every question and observation the young kunoichi throws his way is answered with single words or grunts, making conversation laborious.

 _Is he mad at me?_ , she wonders, replaying every single moment of last night to figure out what she could've done wrong. _Could it be because I aroused him? Is he embarrassed?_

Her (eye color) eyes flick over to her crabby partner who forewent his shinobi headband for black sunglasses and a black, cloth medical mask, hiding any indications of what he's thinking. In lieu of his regulation jonin pants and green flak vest, he opted for black slacks, a tucked in plain black tee, and white sneakers, looking every bit the civilian they are meant to portray.

To any passerby, they seem like a happy couple, walking side by side. But on closer inspection, an uncomfortable vibe can be detected with the silver haired man's stiff yet slouched posture and his eyes locked straight ahead. It appears that Kakashi would rather be anywhere else but here and YN can't figure out why for the life of her.

Her confusion slowly morphs into anger as they continue traveling down the dirt paths, and she wonders what the fück she did wrong to provoke such a withdrawn and distant reaction from him. Her grip tightens on the straps of her pack in frustration when an unnerving revelation dawns upon her, causing dismay and disappointment to sink in her gut like a lead ball. Her head hangs low with the sudden understanding of Kakashi's aloof behavior.

YN had unknowingly coerced his arousal; he didn't want her like she thought... His heavy, shallow breathing, husky voice, and erected member were unwilling by-products of her body stimulating his. YN's conscience is bombarded with a slew of emotions: distress, shame, and self-hatred.

 _Fuck!,_ she utters to herself. He's not embarrassed, he's fucking uncomfortable with her because he must feel violated! Basing her conclusion off of her own experience with Neji, she knows that just because a man is titillated, it doesn't mean he desires the person causing the sexual stimulation.

And right now, YN is debating whether this could be considered a form of sexual assault or not. _No wonder he pushed me to the floor! I'm such an idiot!_

Her feet drag, clouds of dust form around her white sneakers. _No fucking wonder he didn't want to sleep next to me! He probably thought I would molest him in his sleep!_

With each passing hour, new terrifying thoughts being to haunt her mind further as she recounts their night. Kakashi is usually an easy person to talk to, but how can she possibly bring up her accidentally assaulting him? After all, she was only following his instructions! Isn't the whole goal for this mission to _seduce_ men?

Seduce, yes. Coerce or compel, no. The major difference being consent and the reason why she feels vile and disgusting. The training is crucial to their mission but unlike the men at the strip club, Kakashi is an _unwilling_ participant, only doing this since its part of his job, not because he truly enjoys it or wants to.

Considering Kakashi doesn't seem keen on starting a conversation anytime soon, YN figures she has a while to sort out her own thoughts and emotions before confronting him about last night.   
  


**The duo have already** passed into known Grass territory, which ironically doesn't house acres of swaying plains. However, YN is thankful of the warm weather of summer. The sky is clear with a few white, puffy clouds complimenting the bright blue vast space behind them.

Her (skin color) skin soaks up the heat radiating from the sun, seeping warmth into her bones. And grateful for pairing a white tank top with loose fitting , high waisted tan cargo shorts and white sneakers, YN is able to absorb the full benefits of vitamin D without sweating profusely.

Giant mushrooms grow in fairy rings settling in grassy openings of the immense forests alternating between trees and stalks of bamboo. The trickle of water can be heard from small rivulets nearby along with the louder torrent of larger rivers farther away. It's quite ethereal, especially with the faint shimmering glow that leaks through the green canopy above. Only a few people have passed by the two since a handful of villages are sprinkled around the freshwater currents.

In a rare occurrence of Kakashi constructing more than one sentence together, he informed YN that would eat whatever they brought with them without stopping, due to their delay. He wants to cross the Tenchi bridge before they retire for the night if they plan to stay on schedule. YN only nibbles on the dried jerky, her appetite severely diminished with the sickening feeling swirling in her stomach.

Kakashi is dreadfully aware of the looming tension between him and YN. He's not trying to be short with her as they trek on the dusty path, but he's just unsure on how to rectify it. He assumed discussing it would just make things worse, but then again, there is nothing to discuss. Her training is, unfortunately, mandatory since they both know she needs it and his body reacted the same way any normal, healthy male's body would react. That's it.

But when is anything in Kakashi's life ever simple? In addition to his already complicated predicament, there's the problems of their teacher- student dynamic, of having to work together, of her never have done this before, and him having done this quite a few times. And lastly, their obligation of professionalism while on this mission.

Yet, he's going to have to continue her training somehow because she's still far from being ready for the real thing. She hasn't even danced nude, or at least in her underwear, nor has she danced on a pole. He still hasn't broken the news of her possibly dancing naked in front of a crowd of strangers; he's just hoping she already knows that it's a possibility. Considering they're going to reach Kabukichō the day after tomorrow, he has many issues to resolve in such a small amount of time so he doesn't blame himself for not being the chattiest person to be around.

The sun is almost done completing its daily arc through the sky, the crescent moon already making an appearance as they continue hiking through the forest. Fewer rays of sunlight are peeking through the small gaps in the leafy awning, fireflies wandering aimlessly through the dense woodland.

"Once we cross the Tenchi bridge, we'll stop at the next inn we see." His smooth, nonchalant voice breaks through the uncomfortable silence that has engulfed them for hours, completely shattering it if it wasn't for the infrequent chirping of the crickets.

Unable to contain the disgrace for such a heinous act, YN alternates between fidgeting with her fingers or the hem of her shorts, a lump forming in her throat as guilt thrums through her veins.

"Are you mad at me?" Her strained voice comes out soft but the crack at the end is clearly audible. She kicks a pebble with the toe of her shoe, refusing to take another step until she at least apologizes.

Kakashi glances at YN over his shoulder as he slows down when he doesn't hear her footsteps following behind him anymore. They're at the cusp of rogue territory, the only thing separating them between safety and danger is the Tenchi Bridge a few miles away.

"What?" He asks perplexed, wondering why YN sounds and looks like she's going to cry. The sight made him uncomfortable since expressing feelings is something he has no experience in.

She whimpers, frustrated that she has to ask again. "Are you mad at me?" Tears prick the back of her eyes as she reluctantly glances at him through her lashes.

He sighs in exasperation, stepping closer to the young kunoichi so only about a foot lies between them. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"B-because—" Kakashi doesn't hear the rest of her sentence because he suddenly senses something that makes his whole body still. His mismatched eyes flick in the direction of the rapidly moving chakra, only having enough time to push YN out of the way of a whizzing chakra infused senbon.

He watches as the thin needle narrowly misses YN's neck and pierces a bamboo stalk as if it was made of butter, unaware that a kunai is speeding towards him. By the time he notices and tries to side step it, it's too late, causing the metal blade to slice through the thin fabric of his tee and his alabaster skin. The knife slashes through his right shoulder and chest, blood oozing out of the deep wound and dampening his dark shirt.

YN's body collides with the dirt path, jagged pebbles dig into her soft flesh, a few perforating the palms of her hands and her elbows from her violent skid across the road.

Shock stuns her body. Her vision is temporarily blurred from tears glossing over her eyes as her anger begins to seethe, ignorant to the ambush around her. Tears stream down her cheeks unchecked.

"What the fuck did I do?!" She brokenly cries, propelling herself off the hard ground and towards her mission partner. Her aching hands plan to ram into his chest but he quickly captures YN's wrists in both of his hands, pulling her body close to his, mere centimeters separating them as he keeps her arms around his body.

"Play along, we've been ambushed." He whispers into her ear, his medical mask brushing the loose strands of her hair.

Her head jerks back and she blinks a few times to rid her eyes of tears, her brain and body finally registering a low level chakra signature about 15 feet in front of them. She attempts to stare into his eyes but the black sunglasses only reflect her chaotic image back at her. His voice held sincerity, and she has no reason not to trust him.

She imperceptibly nods, catching sight of Kakashi's gash at last. A gasp escapes her, "are you okay?" She asks in alarm, sensing the unknown chakra signature coming closer. Her hand hesitantly hovers over the open slit as she tries to mentally assesses it, wanting to heal him already but knowing she can't. Not yet anyways.

Kakashi hums quietly, turning towards the advancing figure that's being obscured by the forest shadows and the dense woodland. He protectively tucks YN into the uninjured side of his body.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He asks, his voice carrying a slight panic to maintain their civilian guise.

The person breaks through the shadows, stepping between two large trees, the dim light illuminates his features. His stocky physique is muscular, his muscle mass probably twice that of Kakashi's but he lacks height. He's a few inches shorter than the jonin as well, and YN gauges that his bulky muscles most likely hinders his speed.

His beady eyes hold a cunning look behind their bright blue depths and the way his gaze travels down from her face and lingers on certain areas of her figure, makes her feel like he can see through her clothing. A chill crawls down her spine and tingles under her skin, not liking the way he's ogling her. She's torn between wanting to cross her arms over her body to hide it from his view or curb stomp his ugly face into the dirt.

"You good, doll face? Is this old man bothering you?" He asks, his eyes have yet to acknowledge the silver haired man that's holding her. His small tongue darts out to wet his chapped lips as a wicked smile spreads.

YN doesn't say a word and tries to hold back a grimace, knowing Kakashi would want her to play the role of a defenseless woman if they want to keep their identities hidden. Instead, she clutches the back of Kakashi's shirt, huddling closer to his warmth.

"What do you want?" Kakashi asks again, firmer than the last. "If you want money, you'll only be wasting your time with us since we don't have much." His good arm tenses around his female partner, also not liking the way the man is solely fixated on her.

Without taking his eyes off of YN, the rogue says, "The poor girl seemed like she needed to be rescued from a perverted geezer like yourself. What do you say, doll face? You need to be saved from this old coot by a dapping, young hero?" He flexes the hulking muscles in his arms, as if it had any appeal to the young woman.

"I'm perfectly fine." YN says tersely through gritted teeth, offended by the way this thug is speaking of Kakashi. The older jonin can feel her grip tighten on his shirt, and he knows it's not from nerves but most likely her trying to control her anger. "I'm with him, please just let us pass so we can continue on our way."

The desperado's thin eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. A few moments of silence passes as his eyes bounce between the partners before a cackling laugh rumbles from his chest.

"Him?" He asks in disbelief, pointing a crooked, thick finger at Kakashi. "You're with him? Sweet cheeks, this old man is probably past the point of shooting blanks and is shooting dust instead!" He cackles more before adding, "why don't you come with us? We'll take great care of you!"

"We?" The Copy nin questions in confusion, not sensing another shinobi. All of a sudden, a second chakra signature appears as YN gets yanked away from the protective hold of Kakashi. She digs her heels into the ground as she's dragged into the strong hold of another person, the tan dirt gives way to darker soil causing two dark lines to be drawn in the road.

"Get off of me, you freak!" She squirms in the man's grasp, momentarily forgetting her damsel in distress façade.

The person behind her tightens his arms around her frame as he hauls her away from the other two men, "shh, baby doll. Let's just sit back and enjoy the show." Her head rears back at the familiar voice. The man holding her has the same build, same cunning, beady blue eyes, and same exact chakra signature as the first man that's currently sizing Kakashi up.

A shadow clone?

She squirms for a few more seconds in a feeble attempt to free herself before focusing her attention back to the men squaring off. "You're making a mistake," the Copy nin warns, slipping off his pack and slinging it to the side of the road; it thuds in the soft grass landing on a patch of small mushrooms.

Kakashi mentally notes that if he runs now and leaves them at YN's mercy, they'd be knocked out in a matter of minutes; much different from Sakura who would utterly obliterate him. _Nicer_ , he supposes.

The bandit scoffs, jutting his chin out in defiance and puffing out his chest. The men begin circling each other like two animals ready to pounce. "Nah, I don't think so. If you survive, then maybe you can come get her once we finish with doll face over there."

Kakashi's eyes glimpse YN squirming in a clone's arms, performing her best like she's trying to escape the brute's clutches.

For a professional hooligan, he surely misjudges his opponent, mistaking Kakashi's white hair to mean he's older than he truly his. YN chews her bottom lip anxiously, her hands itching to heal the still leaking wound on Kakashi's shoulder and chest. She knows Kakashi can probably take this man on while blindfolded, but his injury leaves him at a disadvantage.

"She has nothing to do with this. Please let us go so no one gets hurt," he tries again, preparing himself for a fight.

The man lowers his posture in a position ready to lunge. "That's where you're wrong, old man. I like my women pretty, and she," he jabs a thumb over his shoulder to his clone detaining YN, "fits that criteria."

The hoot of an owl prompts the less experienced ninja to sloppily charge at the Copy nin, allowing him to dodge the attack easily. He launches himself again at the jonin, throwing a neat jab and undercut that connect with nothing but air. YN knows that if they stick with taijutsu, Kakashi will do fine despite his injury. But if the thug uses ninjutsu, then it could be a fatal drawback for him since he can't use any hand signs if he wishes to keep his identity concealed. YN wonders if he's using his Sharingan under his sunglasses; though, she wouldn't put it past him if he is.

Kakashi pivots on his heel, a dust cloud swirling around his shins. Realizing quickly that he struggles to lift his injured arm away from his body, he uses his good arm to grab the thug's hair bun, thrusting his head down to meet his knee's sharp and violent jab. A sickening crunch is heard before warm, red liquid gushes from the man's newly bent nose. YN winces, knowing that must've hurt like a bitch.

The clone behind her growls when she cheers on her partner, careful not to say his real name. His thick arms that resemble fallen logs, squeeze her frame harshly in retaliation, earning a yelp from her.

"Don't get cocky yet, bitch. The show's just getting started." His hot breath fans the side of her face, the gut-wrenching stench makes her gag, bile burning the back of her throat. When was the last time he brushed his teeth? Never?

The bandit lightly touches his fractured nose, spitting out the blood that has pooled in his mouth. Dark bruises slowly begin to form under his eyes and a cruel smile forms on his lips, his yellow teeth stained red. "You're gonna regret that old man! I've been going easy on you."

The thug wipes the flowing blood from his nose onto his bare arm leaving a streak of crimson contrasting his light tan. He grits his teeth before lunging again, throwing a flurry of jabs, undercuts, and hooks with his brute strength. Kakashi ducks and weaves each punch and he can feel the air breeze past his body with each hit he marginally dodges.

The brute swings one of his giant, thick legs up after he failed to land one hit upon the silver haired man. Unable to lift his arm away from his body to block the blow, the man's shin connects with Kakashi's trickling wound, knocking him to the side and reopening the gash so the blood pours freely.

YN watches in horror as Kakashi grunts in pain as he stumbles to the side, his good hand clutching around his bruising cut; his knees dropping to the blood soaked ground. She desperately wants to go to his aid, but without using any jutsu, she knows she'll just be in his way. She gives him a few more moments before she tries to intervene by any means necessary since his wound is alarming her.

The thug pulls out another kunai from his pouch, drawing it back before plunging it straight towards Kakashi's bleeding chest.

"No! Look out!" YN screams, fighting with renewed vigor to break free. She whisks her head back, slamming her head against the jaw of the clone causing it to disappear in a puff of white smoke.

A silvery glint catches the jonin's eyes and he wraps his large hand around the thick wrist of his attacker, stopping the point of the kunai centimeters away from stabbing through his red chest.

Determined, the attacker uses his other hand to drive the kunai forward but the more experienced ninja uses that momentum to forcefully bend his arm up, the kunai barely grazing the chin of the thug. To his shock, the man drops the kunai and it falls with a silent thud between the two men. Finally having enough, Kakashi wrenches the man towards the ground and chops the back of his neck before he face plants, effectively knocking him unconscious.

"Shit, Kakashi! Are you okay?" YN races to her partner, eager to check his wound and heal him. She falls to her knees and slides across the path causing dirt to billow up around them.

He holds his hand up, signaling he's fine and that they have bigger issues to deal with as he picks himself up off the ground. YN can clearly see he's in a lot of pain from the way his injured shoulder sags.

"Hey, wait!" She tugs on his good elbow, halting him in his tracks. "I need to heal you now before you bleed out!"

"It's not that serious," he replies hoarsely, yanking his elbow out of her grasp when she tries to peel away the ripped, soaked fabric sticking to his bruising skin. "I've dealt with worse."

"So what?" She vehemently argues, placing her hands on her hips. "Let me see it."

"It can wait until we cross over the Tenchi bridge so we don't blow our cover," he counters, still being stubborn. "We're only a few miles out."

Her face morphs into an expression of incredulity, eyes wide, brows furrowed, and mouth slightly agape. The poor man is literally bleeding to death and he has the nerve to shrug it off as if it's a mere scratch. She already went against him as her superior today by almost pushing him back, what's another offense? She grabs his hand and drags him around the barrier of tall bamboo stalks, concealing them from the path.

He leans against the stalks and she gently guides him down to the grass, kneeling beside him to examine the deep gash carefully. The setting sun and dense canopy overhead makes it slightly difficult to assess the damage in such low light.

"How did this even happen? It seems like it sliced through your deltoid and pectoral muscles..." her voice lowers in thought as the scene of him being kicked appears in her mind. "That's probably why you had trouble moving your arm. With such dim lighting, I can only do basic healing to stop the blood flow and reduce the pain so, you're going to have to take it easy until I can further asses the damage."

Kakashi nods as he watches her slip off her pack and unzip it. She rummages through it before pulling out a bottle of water, uncapping it and pouring a light flow over her hands to wash away the dirt and blood from her palms. Kakashi didn't notice until now as the red tinted water trickles onto the green grass, that the blood wasn't his, but hers. He scans her palms spotting small cuts littering them; he must've pushed her a little too hard.

He witnesses her hands begin to glow green as she gently presses her palms against his open wound. He can feel the slightly itching yet cooling sensation of her chakra permeating into his flesh, mending blood vessels and draining away the discomfort until his pain is almost gone. His medical mask heaves in and out as he catches his breath from the fight.

Kakashi has never been healed by YN before, it's always been Tsunade or Sakura, and he completely forgot how calming and incredibly intimate the experience is. Her chakra weaving into him, repairing his body from the inside out. A small smile plays on his lips as he finds new respect and pride swell within him for her skills.

"Okay, that's all I can do for now. Try not to move it or else you risk reopening the gash." She instructs, removing her hands and zipping her bag back up before she shrugs it on and stands up.

All he can do is nod and utter a small, "thanks," in reply.

Once they emerge from behind the wall of bamboo, they notice the thug still knocked out cold, face down in the dirt.

"We need to get rid of his body," he notes. "If anyone stumbles upon him before he wakes up, there's bound to be questions."

He grabs the arm of the larger man with both hands about to haul him behind the tall bamboo before YN slaps his hands away.

"Really?" She asks not hiding her annoyance.

"I'll be f—"

"Move," she nudges him to the side and wraps her arms around the brute's calves. "Just get your pack and take it easy!" She emphasizes in a serious tone.

He crosses his arms over his chest, watching in amusement as she lugs the large man by his legs.

Her heels dig into the solid ground as she struggles to drag the man's weight. "What the hell is his body made of? Lead?!" Kakashi chuckles slightly, stepping to the young woman to help her hide the man's body but she tightens her hold around his legs and sends him a death glare. "Don't even think about it!" She warns. "I got it!"

"Do your thing," he says and holds his hands out in surrender, walking back to where he threw his bag.

It took a few minutes but YN finally has enough momentum to haul the unconscious body behind the bamboo, dropping his legs like a dead weight. She wipes her hands off and turns back to her partner with a large smile of triumph.

"Uh, YN?" Kakashi points behind her, only one strap of his bag dangles from his uninjured shoulder and his other hand is tucked into his dusty slacks.

She spins to see the man's hands peeking out from the side of the plant wall. She groans, stomping back and nudges them behind the bamboo with the toe of her shoe.

"Still causing problems when he's been K.O'd." She jests, tightening the straps of her bag on her shoulders.

"Get used to it, the club is probably full of guys like him."

YN's nose scrunches at the thought of dancing in her underwear in front of ugly, disrespectful, and smelly thugs like him. Gross.

The two of them continue down the road, hoping that once they cross the bridge, an inn will be near by. A darkening orange glow and the flickering of fireflies are their only light as adrenaline still pumps through their veins. At least for a moment, the thick tension between them has been temporarily lifted and that makes YN smile softly.   
  
  


**The evening sun casts** long shadows of gnarled trees on their path, the warm orange of dusk settling over their darkened silhouettes.

It took the duo fifteen minutes to finally reach the Tenchi Bridge, a wooden walkway that spans over a deep ravine within the Village Hidden in the Grass.

Their footsteps thud over the wooden boards of the bridge, a comfortable silence surrounding the two partners. She allows her hand to softly graze over the cold, metal railing. Fireflies glide around them, hovering over the cavernous opening and illuminating their way with the occasional hooting of owls in the distance.

Memories of the first and last time she walked across this overpass trickles back to her. It was the era of betrayal and heartbreak for every member of Team 7. Sakura and Naruto were distraught, constantly blaming themselves for not doing more to stop Sasuke from joining forces with Orochimaru.

YN on the other hand, understood his desire to become stronger. She knows what it feels like to feel weak, inadequate, and inept in her abilities. Although her insecurities have faded over the course of the past few years, they would still haunt her every now and then despite honing her abilities to the best she can. She knew she still lacked behind the boys and Sakura in terms of raw talent. She often wondered whether Kakashi felt responsible for the woeful and shocking departure of one of his students or if he understood his aspirations like YN did.

The intention of asking him nagged at her when she saw the devastating effects it had on her comrades; especially after the heart-rending confrontation since Sasuke was like a brother to Naruto and her and an apocalyptic crush to Sakura.

However, what truly hurt her wasn't Sasuke leaving, it was how easy he left and denounced their bonds of friendship as if everyone on the team meant _nothing_ to him. YN genuinely felt like she found a new family within the dysfunctional members of Team 7 but at that moment, she had a feeling she had been deluding herself; that those around her didn't have the same heart as her and that she was placed on this Earth to love... _not to be loved_.

She had an inkling her and her peers weren't the only ones hurt though and under Kakashi's stoic façade, he must have felt _something_ ; whether it was guilt, disappointment, betrayal, her intuition told her it had to be something. After all, he did spend time with Sasuke to teach him Chidori, his personal jutsu, before the Chunin exams. However, her plan to somehow reassure him that he was a great sensei and that Sasuke's choice to leave had no reflection on his ability to teach or impact his students was halted when she witnessed her mother screaming at him for endangering her daughter.

YN inwardly cringes at the humiliating memory.

**f l a s h b a c k**

YN held a thermos filled with miso soup with eggplant and a separate bento containing salt broiled saury – her sensei's favorite foods. She had a feeling he'd be in a crabby mood since he's currently bedridden in the one place he abhors the most – the hospital.

Her sandals squeaked against the gleaming tile floors of the hospital as she walked down the corridors, soft chatter humming about. It was a fairly quiet afternoon. The sun shone brightly through the large windows, yellow rays warming the usually bleak and somber atmosphere.

The aroma of the savory foods YN held contrasted greatly to the familiar sterile scent of the hospital, her domain. She loved being a medic for she had an affinity for helping others and making a positive difference in someone's life when they're in a state of suffering. Ironically, she was now the one suffering.

She had just come back from their failed mission to find Sasuke. She was deeply crestfallen, her heart broken for another person in her life had left her and _so_ easily too. Her heart was so heavy, the deep gash on her cheek, inflicted by Naruto when he unleashed four tails of Kurama, paled in comparison.

She rounded the corner of a deserted hallway, her spirits already lifting in anticipation of being greeted by her easygoing sensei. Unbeknownst to her, Kakashi always had the ability to calm the emotional torrents that whirled within her. His relaxed, laid-back personality complimented her high strung one. And even though she didn't realize it, she was awfully grateful for always having him by her side.

Her soft smile slowly slipped from her face when she heard screaming coming from Kakashi's room. Her heart pounded rapidly against its confines, to the point where she feared it would overwork itself and stop out of exhaustion. She slowly opened the door, careful not to make any noise and peered through.

There stood her mother, arms flying about, as her shrill voice cried, "— that _abomination_ could have killed her!"

YN's brows furrowed as she held the containers of Kakashi's food closer to her chest. _Who is she talking about? Naruto?_ YN was aware that her mother disliked Naruto, simply because he was a jinchuriki. Unfortunately, YN's mom was one of the villagers who forbade her from befriending him during her years at the Academy. She understood why her mother felt protective of her for Kurama had killed her father during its rampage upon the village when he was unleashed. However, what she couldn't understand was why her mom kept projecting her hatred on Naruto, who never asked to have a tailed beast sealed inside of him.

"I apologize, Ms. LN." Kakashi sat in his bed, mask obscuring half of his face, and his Sharingan eye closed. He seemed....melancholy, perhaps? She wasn't sure for he always wore an aura of composed nonchalance. "I should've been there to protect my team and to calm Naruto."

YN rolled her eyes, _be there? You're bedridden, you idiot!_

"And how would you being there have helped?!" Her mother shrieked, stepping closer to the grey haired jonin and pointing a bony finger towards him. "Aren't you friend-killer Kakashi? What could you possibly do to help me believe you won't become a daughter killer too?! Either _you_ would kill her yourself or you'd let that _freak_ do it!"

YN's mouth dropped loosely in shock. Did her mom really just say that? Her wide eyes flicked to her sensei who sat there, stone faced, accepting the chastisement but ready to defend his student.

"Mom!" She screamed, humiliated by the abusive words her mother was hurling towards her teacher, who, in her opinion, didn't deserve any type of hate. "Are you kidding me?!"

Her mom spun around in surprise; eyes wide and her mouth forming a small '0'.

Kakashi was surprised as well, his eye widening in response. "YN—"

YN held her hand up to stop him from talking as she kept a hostile glare directed towards the woman who raised her. She stepped closer, standing in between her sensei and her mom, containers still pressed against her chest.

"What are you doing here, YN?" Her mom asked, squaring her shoulders and raising her chin in an attempt to assert dominance over her daughter. "You should be home resting."

The look of complete shock hasn't left YN's face as she responded, "I came by to give him some food since the hospital doesn't make his favorite." She shrugs the containers in exhibition before placing them on the table beside Kakashi's bed. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came by to have a little," she peered over her daughter's shoulder to glare at the jonin, " _chat_ with your sensei."

YN shook her head vehemently, "no, mom. That wasn't a 'chat'. That was straight up berating! And for what? You don't see Sakura's parents brow-beating Kakashi-sensei whenever she gets hurt! Not only was he not there but Naruto didn't even mean it."

Her mom's temper blazed under the surface, causing her to erupt like a volatile volcano, nostrils flaring. "That's because Sakura is actually good at what she does!"

YN tensed in consternation at her mom's unexpected attack, tears glistening in her (eye color) eyes.

Ms. LN pointed to the white bandage on YN's cheek. "Why haven't you healed your wound, huh? Oh that's right, you're waiting for Sakura to do it so it doesn't scar because if you do, you'd be left with a hideous mark on your face! YN baby, she's one of the best medics in the world and you're just a glorified nurse. No wonder they don't 'brow-beat' Kakashi despite him being a Hatake." She threw her hands up in exasperation before continuing her tirade. "But you? You're not cut out for this life, YN. You copy every one else's jutsus because there's nothing special about you and your lack of skill is going to get you killed!"

YN's lips pursed in a grim line as she willed herself not to cry as her chin began to wobble. She felt a warm hand wrap around her forearm but Kakashi's voice sounded far away as her mother's words inflicted a wound deeper than any other.

She was humiliated in front of someone she greatly respected. And by someone she deeply loved. She yanked her arm out of his grasp and stormed past her mom, "thanks _mom_." She said bitterly. "I knew you had faith in me!"

She stalked out of the room and down the still empty corridor, a few angry tears escaping to streak down her cheeks. She could hear Kakashi calling out her name and the incoherent shouts of her mother but she kept her head down with her blurry vision unfocused on the ground as she left the hospital.

It was the last time she would see Kakashi in a long time, and the last time she would ever confide in her mom.

**e n d o f f l a s h b a c k**

YN sighs quietly, beginning to chew the skin off of her bottom lip. Her (eye color) eyes timidly sneak a look at her partner. His unruly, silver hair glows under the pale crescent moon that shines amongst the blanket of stars stretching to infinity. She wonders if he remembers that incident... He probably does. Guilt sprouts in her stomach for she never apologized for the horrendous things her mother said to him. Even if he doesn't care or remember, she knows it's still the right thing to do. After all, it was the turning point in their relationship where they stopped talking to one another.

"YN... I can feel your eyes on me again." Kakashi says, not sparing her a glance. YN notices his subtle wince when he shrugs his bag higher on his shoulder.

"How's your wound?" Her voice cracks and she clears her throat, refocusing her gaze to her dusty sneakers scraping the ground. She mentally chides herself for not apologizing when she had the chance.

"It's fine, I'll live," he teases, playfully mocking her panic of him bleeding out.

Hazy lights begin to appear along the dark horizon, small flickers of flames kissing the sky. Quaint homes emerge along the gentle slope of a hill with few people leisurely strolling as if they have no care in the world. YN supposes it must be due to this settlement having recently joined the Shinobi Union a few years back, after the Fourth Shinobi War. Despite being settled between rogue territories, the Shinobi Union provides it with quality protection, allowing the residents a sense of safety.

She tucks a few sweat dampened strands of hair behind her ear as she allows silence to envelope them.

The dirt path transitions into a pebbled trail, leading to a large wooden building with a flickering lamp mounted beside the door. Tiny rocks crunch underneath their feet and dogs howl in the distance. She can feel the unsettling feeling from before creep back into her gut, the disgusting feeling of sexually harassing her sensei.

"I'm sorry for violating you..," she softly confesses, shattering the quietude around them.

"Wait, what?" Kakashi asks, utterly baffled. He grips YN's bicep and forces her to face him. There is no way he's going to let her believe she somehow assaulted him. Lifting his sunglasses up to rest on his head, he fixes her with his intimidating black and red gaze.

Her eyes stay glued to her sneakers, unable to properly apologize if she has to look him in the eyes. She swallows thickly, gathering her wavering courage. "From personal experience, and as a medic as well, I suppose, I'm aware a person's body can betray them when they're being... stimulated. I understand you're body reacted in a certain way because my movements were triggering a natural reaction and you tried to stop yourself but I didn't sto—"

He holds a hand out to stop her from talking once he realizes the outrageous conclusion she had come to, "okay, stop right there because you didn't violate me."

Her doe eyes snap to his mismatched ones, "but you sai—"

"I know what I said but that's not what I meant, YN. I'm so used to seeing you as a little girl that I was unprepared when I was forced to see you as a woman, that's all."

Her brows crease in confusion, "but your body—"

"— acted accordingly, yes." He says, cutting her off once again. He told her the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her and he knows her believing she sexually assaulted him would be absolutely humiliating. Therefore, he figures he can save her from further embarrassment by not allowing her to voice out her concerns while also reassuring her she did no wrong. "What happened last night just proved how well you did. It's not assault if I'm the one instructing you to do those things to me, okay? You just did much better than I expected."

Her cheeks flush with heat as her lips purse to stop a nervous giggle from escaping. Instead of turning her head away in embarrassment, she forces herself to maintain eye contact with the older man. She didn't see or even feel the proof of his arousal and a horrid thought of her actually doing either flashes in her mind and makes the heat inside her flare even more.

"So we're okay? You don't resent me or feel uncomfortable around me?" Her fingers anxiously fiddle with each other.

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I mean... it's bound to get a little weird when I'm suppose to teach you how to seduce men, eh? Just next time come talk to me since it's already going to be a bit strange, let's not make it worse, okay?"

She offers a bright smile to the jonin, relieved that she didn't commit a horrendous crime. "Okay." Before the two begin walking towards the building again, she grabs his forearm to keep him in place. "Also, I'm really sorry for getting mad at you earlier and trying to push you...," she abashedly mutters, visibly cringing at her behavior.

"It's fine. I'm sorry for pushing you so hard." He gently takes her hands and turns them over, inspecting her scraped palms with a frown on his masked lips. "You should heal them."

She waves her hands dismissively. "No it's okay. I should take care of your wound first. It's the worst one out of both of ours."

The frown stays on his lips, disliking yet also admiring how she's able to put on a 'tough' face; pushing herself to her limits just to help others. "Okay, let's go."

**The inn holds an** air of inviting hospitality. The interior of the large building is decorated with wood paneling, spanning all four walls of the lobby. Tiny bonsai trees sit neatly arranged on the top of the reception desk, wicker chairs with plush cushions are situated off to the side in a waiting area, and a petite, older woman greets the couple with a warm reception.

Much like the residents who passed by the couple, the older woman's soft gaze holds sympathy and understanding when she spots Kakashi's torn shirt and gash, as if she's seen plenty of injured travelers before. YN assumes it's due to the fact that rogue territory borders all sides of the fairly large settlement; a sheltered oasis in the midst of a sinister and dangerous desert – the woman _has_ to have seen some things!

The older woman informs the couple that the inn doesn't have individual bathrooms, but instead contains a bath house on the opposite side of the building, away from the rooms. She gently slides the key over the counter to YN. "It's on the first floor, last door on your right, hun." She turns to Kakashi, eyeing his injury. "There are medical kits inside the showers of the bath house. Once you have that bandaged, then you can use the hot spring."

This is the first time YN has ever been inside an inn that doubles as a bath house, – or vice versa – it's always been one or the other. It's by far the coziest place she's ever stayed in, even more so than her own home that she shares with her mother.

A gleaming plaque at the exit of the lobby holds directions to the rooms and the bath house, rooms to the right, bath house to the left. With a simple look at each other, the two shinobi know exactly where they're going to venture off to first: the bath house so Kakashi can clean his injury and so YN can heal it afterwards.

The duo walk down the dim corridor, reaching two separate entries with different colored curtains. As she subtly looks around to make sure there aren't any guests nearby, Kakashi is already making his way into the men's section. Quickly, YN hurries after him with the blue curtain flapping behind her, knowing his injury makes it extremely difficult to move his arm.

She scurries down the short hall, entering the empty locker room save for the silver haired man. His back is turned towards her as he rummages through his bag after taking off his sunglasses.

Before she can even slip her bag off next to his, he turns to her, directing his narrowed heterochromatic eyes on the young kunoichi. "What do you think you're doing?"

She sets her bag down and begins reaching for the hem of his disheveled black tee, saying in an obvious tone, "I'm going to help you bathe."

With his good arm, he snatches both of her wrists in his large hand, her fingers inches away from his pelvis. "I can do it myself, thank you." He says a little too quickly. Not only was he recklessly injured by a low life rogue, but his manhood was also questioned in front of her. Even if he has no plans of displaying his sexual prowess to YN, it's still the biggest blow a man's ego can take. Therefore, he has every intention of salvaging his last shred of dignity, even if it's only by washing the dirt off of his body.

Her shoulders sag with her wrists still locked in his grasp. She pouts, "yes, you can leave the mask on if it makes you feel more comfortable."

His brows knit together as he studies her in disbelief. _She doesn't possibly think I can't handle an injury like this, does she?_

"YN..." he says sternly. "Get out." He releases her wrists, seizing her bag and gently pushing it into her chest.

She hugs her pack to her body, and nods. "If you say so." She turns to leave but pauses at the exit and looks at him over her shoulder. "Check to see if the medical kit has antibacterial wash. If it does, use it instead of regular soap to decrease your risk of infection. If not, then you should just use the regular soap."

She hears a soft "alright" as she walks down the short hallway, making her way to the women's section to clean herself off as well.

The hot water scorches her (skin color) skin, leaving patches of red under its torrent. She sighs as her aching muscles relax under the burning stream, a bit disappointed she may not experience the hot springs to its fullest.

Lathering a coarse hand mitten with complimentary soap, she begins to exfoliate her skin. Dark gunk begins to form as she buffs the dead skin cells away, exposing smooth and fresh skin in its wake. The subtle scent of chamomile and rose mingle with the billowing steam.

She's oddly relaxed after her conversation with Kakashi; the plaguing guilt now long gone since he assured her she did nothing wrong. She knows it must be challenging for him to be the one to introduce her to the world of sin, the world she has no familiarity with.

She feared the incident of last night would hinder him from taking the necessary steps to continue her training. however their chat eased her wariness. They're scheduled to arrive in Kabukichō the day after tomorrow and she knows she's not ready to become the man-eating vixen she needs to be for this role yet and her only hope is the older man she's traveling with.

**On the other side** of the wall, Kakashi has undressed and is currently scrubbing the dried blood and grime off of his scarred skin. The steady flow of warm water aids in his endeavor of washing his back, his good arm getting most of it. As he uses the antibacterial soap to disinfect his wound, he thinks back to their dangerous encounter with the low level shinobi.

At the time of the event, he was too caught up in concealing their identities and protecting YN to properly analyze the situation. However, now that he has time to reflect on the incident, he's starting to realize how peculiar it all was. A less experienced shinobi would have chalked it up to coincidence but Kakashi knows better. The chakra infused senbon was aimed at her neck, most likely to paralyze her or render her unconscious. Plus, the way the man was alone and solely fixated on YN was too thought out to be happenstance. A bad feeling sinks into his bones as he rinses off and steps out of the shower.

Dressing himself in a fresh pair of black joggers and his tank top with an attached mask, he slings his bag onto his good shoulder and makes his way out of the shower room and into the hall to wait for YN.

Only a few minutes pass by before a glowing YN saunters out of the women's section. Her long (hair color) hair cascades over her shoulders and down her back, droplets wetting her oversized t-shirt, and another pair of loose fitting shorts.

"Ready?" She asks, stepping closer to the jonin.

Kakashi nods and they pad across the building to their room in a comfortable silence.

The room is much larger than the last one they stayed in. A queen sized bed sits in the middle of the room with large floor to ceiling windows ranging over one wall. The night is so dark, the windows create a clear reflection of the couple as they stride inside.

"Lie down," YN instructs once she sets her bagdown next the bed. She crawls to the middle of the firm mattress and crosses her legs, patting the space in front of her and patiently waiting for the silver haired man to join her.

He sidles up next to her, reclining with his left hand settled behind his head and allowing his body to sink into the cold yet comfortable sheets.

YN pulls at the sleeve of his tank top, in attempt to uncover the rest of the gash on his chest but it doesn't budge as much as she wishes it would. She huffs in annoyance and yanks it in her last effort.

"Careful," Kakashi grunts, gripping her wrist once again when he feels the fabric painfully digging into his skin. "What's wrong?"

She sits back and gestures to his torso. "I can't see the rest of your wound."

"Alright," he simply replies. He lifts the top of his torso off the bed, pulling his arm inside his shirt and hoisting half of his tank top over his injured shoulder, displaying his taut and defined body.

A ferocious blush claims YN's face as she views his body for the first time. His torso is littered with massive and minor scars that ripple over his contracting abdomen. Her greedy gaze studies his lean, solid figure before quickly snapping to Kakashi's face in hopes he doesn't see the effect he has on her. Much to her relief, his eyes are focused on the white ceiling. After all, it's not like it's new to him since Sakura has healed many of the scars that inhabit his body, the recent ones are only a ghost of their former selves, leaving no trace behind.

She tries to calm the erratic pounding of her heart against her ribs, uncomfortable with why she even feels this way. She swallows thickly and begins to poke and prod around his wound, asking if certain things hurt. Satisfied with the result of her cursory exam, she places her glowing palms over the gash on his upper shoulder and chest, allowing her green chakra to seep into his wound and extract any impurities before mending the sliced muscles and skin.

She hears a quiet hitch in his breath when her chakra makes contact with his skin. When she glances at his face, his eyes are now fixed on her, yet his expression is as unreadable as ever.

YN shrinks into herself from the intensity of his stare, gradually growing self-conscious. _Is there something on my face? Do I look bad? Am I hurting him?_ "Kakashi... why are you looking at me like that?"

His brows crease slightly before he speaks, his laid-back, velvet voice threatening to send shivers down her spine. "Does the incident with the rogue from earlier bother you?"

The corners of her lips turn down as she contemplates the incident. Shrugging, she answers, "not really. Like you said, he was probably just some classless thug who doesn't know how to ask a girl out on a date."

A light-hearted scoff escapes his lips as YN focuses her attention on removing the remaining dirt particles from the tender tissue. "Okay, I didn't say _that_."

"Oh, did you not? Huh, I could've sworn you did." She jests with a soft smile gracing her lips, her energy delving deep into the muscular structure of his chest and shoulder. "Why, is something wrong?"

His red and black eyes linger a little longer on YN's face, causing her to blush even more. "Maybe... I just find it strange that he was alone and that he tried to attack us first before confronting us." Kakashi turns his head and closes his eyes as he enjoys the oddly pleasant tingle of her chakra weaving through his shoulder and chest.

"Maybe he works better solo and wanted to eliminate us to successfully rob us or sell our organs on the black market?" 

Her suggestion doesn't make him feel any better than his theory of the rogue having some indirect role in their mission. He wishes he could go back and interrogate the shady man, however it's probably too late now; the man has probably woken up already and is far gone by now. Plus, he may not have any connection with their mission and is simply part of another ring of illegal activities all together. Either way, they still must make it to Kabukichō to fulfill their assignment.

A comfortable silence settles between the two as they contemplate different scenarios – Kakashi on the rogue and YN on the haunting memory of what her mother said to him years ago.

"Hey Kakashi?" Her soft voice breaks through the silence.

He hums in response, waiting for her to continue.

She hesitates before steeling her nerves and continuing with her second apology for the night. "I don't know if you remember or not, but either way, I'm really sorry for what my mom said to you a few years ago. The things she said were absolutely..." she takes a deep breath to calm the burning anger inside of her, "disgusting."

YN glances over at him to gauge his reaction, but his eyes are centered on the ceiling with his expression giving nothing away.

Taking his silence as him still hurt from the berating, YN takes it upon herself to not only mend his wound, but possibly mend his heart too. Her chakra continues to seep inside his injury, repairing any damage that had been done.

Her voice comes out low and soothing but full of raw emotion. "I've been meaning to tell you since I came back from the Sasuke Retrieval mission that his choice to leave does not reflect poorly on you. You've been an amazing sensei to all of us with helping us forge our ninja ways so our mentors after you can help define them more clearly... You've had a deep and meaningful impact on all of us and, I believe I speak for every single one of us when I say, we're truly grateful for you being in our lives." She pauses, finally done healing his injury and lightly grazes her fingertips over the faint scar. If she was Sakura, the scar would be completely gone, but she's not. She's just proud that it's as faint as it is. "What my mother said is wrong, Kakashi. I don't know the story of you being labeled as a uh... 'friend killer' but what I do know is that even if it is true, it's not you anymore. I know you'd sacrifice yourself for us in a heartbeat and I would do the same for you."

A few moments of silence passes between them as Kakashi registers her words.

She gives a breathy laugh, and retracts her hand to her lap. "I'm sorry but there's a faint scar now."

It's Kakashi's turn to lightly trace the new mark. He shrugs as he pulls his tank back on. "I think it fits in nicely with the rest of them."

She nods, content with his satisfaction of her medical skills. "You should get some rest, I'm gonna go enjoy the hot springs for a little while."

Kakashi follows her movements as she slides off the bed and walks across the room to the door.

"YN.." he calls out, causing her to pause with her hand on the knob. She looks over her shoulder at him. "Thank you. And for the record, I think you're an excellent shinobi, you just need to gain a little more confidence in yourself."

She offers him a soft smile before she slips out of the room, making her way back to the bath house.

It's fairly early in the night still. The sun set long ago, leaving room for the sparkling stars and gleaming moon. The hot water swirls around YN's naked figure, drawing out the remnant tension from her aching muscles.

She lets out a soft sigh as she watches the transparent clouds slowly creep across the darkened sky, hiding parts of the moon behind wisps of white.

She's thankful she was able to finally get that off her chest, her sole intentions of making him feel better, figuring he's probably not used to being severely chastised. After that unexpected attack from her mother, it started to become more common so she got used to it. Before, her mom used to just vocalize her grievances of YN being put in danger, either from enemies or from Naruto. Every so often, she'd also express her dislike for Kakashi with small dismissals until that day. It wasn't until she was about to leave for her current mission did her mom finally divulge why she hated him.

**f l a s h b a c k**

YN felt dread as she saw her house come into view. Not only did Kakashi not believe she was capable of accomplishing this mission, but now she had to deal with the repercussions of her mother and risk straining their delicate bonds.

She wiped the bottom of her sandals on the mat before her back door, clutching the stack of papers to her chest. After overhearing Kakashi request for another kunoichi, she hid in the bathroom on the first floor, wiping the tears that silently fell with rough toilet paper until she finally collected her composure to retrieve the papers she left. By the time she arrived, both Tsunade and Kakashi were gone, filling her with relief.

"Mom," she called out as she slipped inside her house, pushing the sliding glass door closed with her shoulder. "I'm home."

Her childhood house is small, only two rooms and a shared bathroom. Her back door leads directly to the living room, her room is connected to it by a flimsy door separating them. The house is cluttered with books and memorabilia from her late father. Dozens of pictures of her family hang upon the thin walls, clashing with the pale yellow wallpaper behind it.

Her mother's heavy foot steps vibrated the wooden floorboards as she came closer. Her mom finally came into view once she rounded the corner. Her (hair color) was wrapped in a bandana, a few tendrils falling out to frame her face and her (eye color) eyes held no light inside of them. It was like looking in a twisted crystal ball, YN concluded. A crystal ball that showed her, her future if she ever became a bitter, cold hearted woman for she was the spitting image of her mother.

"Hi, honey, how was work?"

She shrugs noncommittally. "Fine... I actually have some news. You may want to sit down."

Her mom raised a neatly groomed eyebrow at her daughter, mother's intuition telling her she's not going to like the next sentence that comes out of her mouth. But nonetheless, she silently complied, walking over to worn out sofa and sitting down. "What's going on, YN?" She asked warily.

YN set her workload on the clean coffee table, pushing a few stray pieces in so they were neatly organized as she sat on the edge of the table, right in front of her mom. "Well..." she began, unsure how to word it. She had no intention of telling her mom the truth about the mission for her mom would risk suffering from a myocardial infarction. Her doe eyes studied her mom, gauging her reaction for a few moments.

"Spit it out already." Her mom was never a patient woman, always needing to get straight to the point.

YN took a deep breath to calm her frantic nerves before revealing, "I'm going on a mission with Kakashi-sensei to help locate missing women."

"Kakashi Hatake?" Her mother's tone held no emotion.

YN nodded, her body tensed in anticipation, ready to defend at a moments notice. Her mother was never abusive but YN had adopted an uncharacteristic flinch whenever her mother would abruptly move or raise her voice.

"I thought you stopped talking to that friend killer." She said evenly, leaning back in the sagging cushions with a neutral expression. She haughtily crossed her legs at the knees and folded her arms over her chest.

Nervously, YN started to chew the skin off of her lips. "I uh.. I did. It was just sprung on us today."

"No."

YN gave her mom a confused look. What does she mean 'no'? Her back straightened as she stared into her mother's emotionless eyes.

"I have to, mom!" She exclaimed, baffled that her mom would forbid her _legal_ and _shinobi_ daughter from embarking on a mission.

YN didn't want to go on the mission either but having her mom tell her no made her want to rebel, for she has done almost everything to please her and yet it seemed like it's still not enough.

Her mom slammed a palm against the arm of the sofa and leaned forwards, her voice wailing in sorrow. "Because he's going to kill you like his dad did to my brother! I'll be dämned if I let you go on a mission with him alone!" Angry tears glistened in her (eye color) eyes, her lips set in a grim line.

YN never saw her mom so distraught before. Hell, the only emotion her mom seemed to feel was anger. Scooting closer, she gathered her mother's hands and held them firmly. "What do you mean? What happened to your brother, mom?" She heard in passing about her having an uncle from her grandparents but she stopped asking back in her academy days once they passed because her mother would never answer. She's hoping she'll now receive an explanation for her unanswered questions.

Her mom's eyes searched her daughter's for a few moments. After finding what she wanted, she took a deep breath to even her shaky voice and told her something most of the villagers didn't know. The _truth_ about White Fang's failed mission.

"White Fang, as you know, is Sakumo Hatake; Kakashi's dad. He was a very powerful and famous ninja, something Kakashi has inherited from him... Anyways, there was a mission that he lead, one that vilified him by the villagers of Konoha and even the people he saved. However, he was vilified by me for a completely different reason." Her mom squeezed her eyes shut, a few tears escaping to streak down her cheeks. "White Fang came back, saying he knew his teammates would be endangered if they continued with the mission. What he didn't tell people was that my brother, your uncle, was the reason he knew they would all be killed. My 17 year old brother died on that mission, he died in vain because they retreated so the rest of them wouldn't suffer the same brutal fate he did. He never even received the proper burial so his name is on that damn Cenotaph, YN! Kakashi's father is a murderer and so is he! This is why I can't let you go. I can't lose you too. You're not skilled enough to protect yourself, sweetie." Her voice cracked at the end of her rant, pure emotion pouring out of her.

YN was speechless. She had no idea what to say, not even when her mom stroked her cheek tenderly with a soft upturn of her mouth – something she hasn't done since she was child. Her heart broke for her mom, it truly did. However, she knew Kakashi and Kakashi was not a murderer. If anything, she always felt _safe_ and _protected_ when she was with him.

"I'm sorry, mom... Thank you for telling me..." she said, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears and her voice cracking with the pain she felt for her mom. Her mom let a hopeful smile grace her features. "But I'm still going."

In an instant, the smile was replaced with a menacing scowl and she pushed her daughter away as if she had been burned by her touch. In a low threatening voice, she warned, "don't come crawling back to me when you almost die because of him, YN! It'll be your fault, you ungrateful wench."

YN sat on the floor, between the coffee table and the couch, as she watched her mother's retreating figure, promising to prove her mother wrong.

**e n d o f f l a s h b a c k**

YN vows all over again that she will not fail this mission. Most importantly, she owes it to the missing women; to save them and stop any future abductions from occurring. She also owes it to Kakashi, even if what her mother said about his father and her uncle was true, Kakashi is different. And lastly, she owes it to herself.

In a matter of two days, she'll be in Kabukichō and she's nowhere near ready. She needs more training and she needs it now.

She sighs as she steps out of the comfort of the hot water and into the cool night air. She plucks her towel from the edge of the spring and dries herself off, moisturizing her body with complimentary body oil.

Once dressed, she places her towel in the dirty bin and makes her way back to her shared room.

Quietly closing the door behind her, she softly pads over the bed seeing Kakashi sound asleep under the heavy covers and a plate of food sitting on the nightstand, waiting for her. He must've ordered room service while she was in the springs.

It's a grilled eggplant sandwich with a fruit smoothie, light enough not to cause discomfort but substantial enough to fill her after a long day of traveling and replenish her nutrients.

She eats in dim lightening, enjoying the cozy and intimate atmosphere it sets. Her mind continues to loop the motivating mantra of her needing training and needing it now. As she chews on the savory vegetable and sips on chunks of strawberry, she eyes her reflection in the dark window. She wonders if she could use it to observe her movements as she dances, remembering how Ino and Sakura used to brag about perfecting their most sensual dance moves in the mirror. Could this work as well?

Careful not to disturb her partner, she sets her plate down, wiping any crumbs off the corner of her mouth with her thumb as stares at herself. She always thought it was silly to watch herself move in a mirror. She always felt comfortable in her own body but when it's displayed in front of her, she would shy away and become increasingly awkward. Hell, she's 19! It's high time she finally coaxes out her inner goddess and take initiative in this mission.

With renewed vigor, YN silently pads over to the window, sizing herself up in the reflection. Her image isn't as clear as a mirror would be, which means she'll have to rely more on her own feeling than watching herself.

She studies herself, noting the way her hair falls over her shoulders and how much or little her breasts fill out her oversized t-shirt. She turns to inspect her bum, gliding a hand from the small of her back and down the curve of her ass, and her eyes follow her shapely legs down to the carpeted floor.

Kakashi said she just needs confidence in herself. So perhaps, she may or may not have much to work with, but what matters is how well she works with what she has. After all, she did manage to arouse Kakashi Hatake, so maybe she can be sensual with her figure.

_You're a sensual goddess, an Aphrodite reincarnate._

She repeats the affirmation in her head on a constant loop, acting as the rhythm for her movements. She begins to sway her hips in a back and forth motion, the same way Kakashi had instructed. She remembers the way his large hands gripped her hips and she tries to recreate the same dramatic swing on her own.

 _'Act like you love the feel of your own body.'_ His low timbre echoes in her mind. Hesitantly, she begins to slide her hands over her breasts, slowly easing them up and down her sides as her hips maintain the swaying motion. She pretends touching her skin is the most amazing thing she's ever felt before. Sadly, her hazy reflection presents a woman awkwardly groping herself; she can even feel her gawky and clumsy movements.

Unbeknownst to her, she has an one-man audience who can't disagree with her more.

He had been wide awake, silently resting on his side as he faced the large floor to ceiling windows on the opposite side of the room. The conversation from earlier left him with an uncomfortably large impact, his mind reflexively mulling over her raw, heartfelt statement to the point where he couldn't rest peacefully despite being utterly exhausted. He was drawn from his uncontrollable thoughts, alert from the soft click of the room door closing.

He kept his eyes closed, wanting to silently suffer alone... little did he know, he would be silently suffering alone for different reasons. Since she was gone for almost an hour, he expected her to come to bed after she finished eating. However, even after the faint scraping of her plate against the nightstand, he felt her presence a few feet away with no dip in the mattress. Opening his dark eye, he was surprised to be greeted with the sight of YN's hips gently swaying and her hands provocatively caressing herself; the sight captivating his attention immediately.

It's obvious she feels uncomfortable touching herself with the unsure movements of her hands, but her movements are poised and graceful, a trait all kunoichis posses.

As she stands in front of her reflection, she tries to not let herself feel discouraged, despite the sinking feeling in her chest. She begins to move her hips in slow, luxurious circles, slightly rippling her chest in a spiral-like motion down to her swirling pelvis.

' _Do something with your arms. Play with your hair_.' As Kakashi instructed, she gathers her (hair color) locks and piles her hair on the top of her head, a few tendrils escaping her fingers as her figure continues to swirl in a sensual tornado-like motion.

She feels awkward and ridiculous, unaware the leisure and sumptuous motion has Kakashi running his tongue over his suddenly dry lips. Despite her movements being subdued and controlled, she's already creating an appealing image. If she learns to overcome her inhibitions, she'll have the potential to become wickedly tantalizing — a troubling revelation to the jonin.

She spins her hips around as she presents her back to the window, looking over her shoulder to observe her bum swaying back and forth in her ill-defined reflection. A small frown settles upon her lips, disappointed her movement doesn't look as appealing as she wishes.

Kakashi is disappointed for a-whole-nother reason; he's disappointed for _being_ disappointed that he can't see her äss sway clearly in the window. He watches the front of her, as her swaying hips dip low before being brought back up in a fluid manner. He can attest that she's more than appealing.

 _'An important part of seduction is making a man believe you like what you're doing to them, even if you hate every second of it.'_ YN can visibly see the strained expression etched onto her features. She pouts her lips and peers at her reflection through her pathetically unadorned lashes for her best alluring look, grimacing at her attempt.

Despite the unclear image in the window, Kakashi can see the overdramatic come-hither look YN is trying to pull off. Brief recollections of her offering him a softened version, when she tried to manipulate him into giving her a lap dance instead, trickle back to him. For someone so inexperienced, she's doing surprising well. He just needs to help her relax her face a bit more so the expression looks natural – not forced.

The (blonde, brunette, redhead, etc.) leans against the glass and slumps down to the floor, frustrated. Her head hangs low and she pulls her knees to her chin and hugs her legs. Why can't she be sexy for the life of her? She knows she's not unattractive but being in tuned with her inner vixen seems impossible at this point. Is she meant to be a failure? Meant to be, at most, second best?

She takes a calming breath, trying to soothe the turmoil that battles within her.

No. That can't be. Yes, her first, and only, time with Neji severely affected her self-esteem and self-worth. But, she's more than that. She has to prove that she's a capable, desirable young kunoichi to so many people; even if one of them isn't around to see her. _It's the principal, damn it!_

Determined, she temporarily forgoes observing her reflection and relies purely on her sense of touch.

Kakashi's breath hitches when he sees her ass perched high in the air, her torso slowly rolling up as her hands trail over her shapely legs before she snaps her head up with a wave of (hair color) locks following and slapping her back. _Where the hell did she learn that?_ He recalls some dancers performing the same move at the end of their routines and the thought that YN could possibly work the stage with the rest of them gives him hope. However, that same thought makes him uncomfortable for some reason.

She sinks down to her knees with her hands sliding up her thighs. She remembers straddling Kakashi's lap with her body pressed against his, their bodies rubbing together. Heat surges through her body and thrums in her veins. Slowly, she begins to twirl her hips in small circles as she kneels on the floor, her hands sitting on the back of her hips.

' _Tilt your head back like you're in the show_ er.'

Little did she know, a second pair of wide eyes are watching her as she cups the sides of her round bum. Her body writhes in a wave like motion. The foreign position tires her thighs out quickly so she leans back and braces herself with one of her hands by her feet; her back arching considerably as she tilts her head and buries her fingers in her cascading locks.

Kakashi is inadvertently hypnotized as he watches her tantalizing movements. A sickening thought enters his head about how much he wants to be under her gyrating pelvis, her twirling her hips while he's insi—

He slams the door on the intrusive thought immediately, only for it burst open again, knocking the door off its hinges as he watches her. I'm such a depraved old man, he thinks to himself, feeling dirty for spying on YN, knowing she wouldn't be dancing this freely if she knew she had an audience. But he can't help it! He never knew the young kunoichi could move like this, even though her features still hold a strained expression.

She pushes herself back up, her hips still circulating as she tentatively trails her hands down her sides, her thumbs slipping in the waist band of her shorts and hesitantly tugging them down.

 _Don't you fucking dare!_ Kakashi thinks vehemently, despite knowing deep down that even if she does, he wouldn't be able to tear his eyes away. He watches her in a twisted anticipation as she teasingly lowers one side of her hem, only displaying a sliver of her bare flesh.

As he continues to watch her, he can feel his heart rate spike as she he fights to even his breathing so he can maintain his façade of sleeping. He can feel the familiar tightening of his groin, knowing he's in trouble. He tries to dispel it by relaxing his body, but as his heterochromatic gaze is transfixed on the undulating movement of her hips, it only gets worse. He silently groans, unable to find the strength to look away from his student.

Without warning, YN stops and drops the act all together before dragging her feet to the bathroom with a heavy sigh. The Copy nin is not only relieved but very disappointed as he lays in bed to quell the blood rushing to his crotch as YN brushes her teeth.

Moments later, the creaking sound of the bathroom door fills the silence of the room before she switches off the lamp and leaves the room in utter darkness.

He feels the bed dip as she climbs in and the covers stretch over his body when she snuggles into the comfy mattress. He hears a soft exasperated sigh as she settles in, her knee prodding his side.

"Why can't I do anything right?" She quietly mutters into the pillow.

Kakashi refrains from rolling over to tell her she's doing everything right and allows her to fall in a deep slumber with him close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was really long so I apologize if it was too much!
> 
> But yay! You get a little more backstory to you and Kakashi, how fun!


	5. Chapter | 05

**The next day goes** by uneventfully. The duo continue their journey trekking through Grass territory, following a small river with a plethora of wild flowers growing near the river banks. Yellows, whites, pinks, and purples dot along the velvety green grass with the river sparkling under the bright sun light.

Both shinobis are relieved that their conversations seem to flow naturally and easily between them, devoid of any uneasy silences or tense conversations that plagued them the day before. YN finds it ironic how Kakashi's injury was able to heal the damage between them, leading them to converse effortlessly; picking up right where they left off before the war.

Even though their conversations are easy, they are still vapid and lackluster, centering around every day topics. Neither shinobi wants to mention the years they were avoiding each other since they're entering more populated towns which means more people to possibly overhear them, especially since they recently crossed over into rogue territory. As they continue to near their destination, it becomes more crucial to keep their identities hidden.

As they trek on, YN tightly clutches the straps of her bag as her mind unconsciously wanders to the image of her clumsily dancing in front of the window. She begins chewing on her top lip as she contemplates her situation. Her experience last night demonstrates that she's not even remotely close to being ready for the real thing. She's too awkward and self-conscious, and she knows that stripping down to her underwear in front of drooling men will only make it worse. Hell, if she can't even perform for Kakashi, – someone she greatly trusts – how can she ever perform in front of an audience of questionable, dangerous men, one of whom could possibly be the kidnapper of the missing women?

However, she doesn't mention her doubts to her partner, not even when they stand in line watching the least suspicious street vendor grill their corn and squid. Although, she knows Kakashi is her support during this mission, with him being her guide for the unexplored realm of lust and sin, she also knows that he can't hold her up completely. She's going to need to stay focused on their objective and make the best out of her situation, no matter how nerve-racking it may be.

As they travel upon the winding dirt road again, yaki tomorokoshi and ikayaki sticks in hand, they continue to chat amiably and YN finds how much she's enjoying his company. Maybe this is what she always felt was missing? His friendship? After the incident in the hospital, their friendship had begun to fall apart. YN was utterly humiliated, wishing to avoid her sensei at all costs. Shortly after, her mother had also threatened her with homelessness if she didn't completely cut Kakashi out of her life, including pairing with him for missions or training. With him not seeking her out either, she made the foolish decision to agree to her mother's terms, fearing he was upset with her as well. However, her idiotic choice did not only sever ties with one friendship, it also strained the friendships with everyone else on Team 7. She noticed how close the team became without her. Yet, she knew it was her own fault.

Her face scrunches in embarrassment of her actions before sinking her teeth into the char-grilled cob, savoring the tangy sauce coating the yellow corn in an attempt to distract herself from the awful memory.

"How is Rock Lee doing?" Kakashi asks, fully breaking her away from her own thoughts.

The sun beats down on the duo, glaring into YN's eyes when she looks over to the silver haired man beside her. Much to her disappointment, Kakashi is already tugging his mask back into place.

"Haven't you heard?" She asks excitedly, hovering a hand over her eyes to keep the brilliant sunlight out. "He's supposed to wake up any day now."

Oh, Kakashi has heard for that's all Gai has been speaking about. That's actually how he found out YN has been his nurse since he was admitted into the hospital and apparently, how close they are. But, if he's being completely honest with himself, he's only asking because he's curious on how she's been over the years. After the incident, he figured she would come to him whenever she was ready; however, he was proven wrong when days and, eventually, months passed by with no sign of her. Even the members of Team 7 had begun to mention her less frequently as time went by.

"Is that so? You must be happy then, eh?"

She gives him a casual shrug of her shoulder. "Yeah, I just wish I was there when he does finally wake up, y'know?"

"Why's that?" When he notices her gaze settle back on the landscape before them, he lifts the bottom of his mask up to take another bite of his grilled squid.

YN pouts her lips, a bit embarrassed. She scuffs the toe of her sneakers against the dry dirt, watching as it puffs into small clouds of tan. "He's a great guy who's...uh...been there for me for the past few years."

"I see," he hums. "I'm assuming he's not the one you had sex with?"

The young kunoichi's steps falter at his frank question. She turns to stare at him incredulously, heat warming her cheeks. His ability to speak so bluntly still marvels her, an amused smile twitching at her lips as she takes a large bite of corn. "No, he's not."

"Boyfriend, then?" He asks, twirling his cleaned ikayaki stick between his fingers, still holding his yaki tomorokoshi stick in his other hand.

She gives a flippant shrug of her shoulder while imitating her best haughty tone, "I haven't found a man good enough for that."

Kakashi's chuckle rumbles from his chest and mingles with hers in the sunny afternoon, mirages of puddles shimmer on their path in the distance.

She waves her hand dismissing her previous witticism, "no, I'm just kidding. Guys don't actually talk to me. They tend to flock towards girls like Hinata or Sakura, or _definitely_ Ino." She nudges his arm with a mischievous smile before continuing, "Maybe I should perform the clone jutsu to look like them so I can finally get a date."

She hides her cackling laughter behind her hand with little snorts cutting in. Kakashi could perceive a subtle undertone of bitterness when she delivered her self-deprecating joke. He glances over to the young woman through his sunglasses. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear that had escaped her ponytail as she continues to eat. He, personally, would've been happy to hear she was dating Rock Lee, for she deserves someone who can cherish her, contrary to how her mother seemed to treat her.

"You're more than pretty enough to find a date." He states genuinely.

Either she fails to notice the sincerity brimming in his words or she chooses to ignore it when she replies with, "I guess it's my personality that's trash."

He keeps his eyes on her, studying her as she snickers to herself. He must've missed the punchline somewhere since he doesn't understand what's so funny. The jonin isn't exactly comfortable with counseling her on her dating affairs, for he's never been one for monogamous relationships himself. However, he tries his best to enlighten her.

He sighs, "Or maybe it's not you, but it's them."

She gives him a side glance, skeptical. "How is it _not_ me, Kakashi?"

A warm breeze caresses the two shinobi as they continue walking. He abruptly clasps the wooden stick in his hand, stopping it from spinning. "It's not your responsibility to diminish or change who you are to satisfy someone else. If they're not drawn by your beauty or personality, that's their problem."

She huffs, narrowing her eyes at her partner. She tries to keep her voice low so she doesn't attract any unwanted attention. "Isn't that what we're doing?" She refrains from divulging any details of their mission, trusting he's smart enough to read between the lines of her question.

He shakes his head, stepping closer to the kunoichi as they continue trudging through rogue territory. Usually, he wouldn't discuss mission details while traveling through such shady areas, no matter how vague. However, the biting tone in her words causes him to bend the rules a little bit. After noting that the closest passerby is at least half a mile away, he figures he can justify her question with an honest answer.

His low timbre and smooth voice snakes through her being when he whispers lowly, "No it's not, YN. I'm helping you highlight the assets you posses since I have no reason to change who you are."

Once she registers his earnest remark, butterflies erupt in her stomach and heat thrums through her body. Does he really mean that?, she wonders. She presses the backs of her hands to her cheeks in an effort to calm the fluster inside her. She inwardly chastises herself for being so easily wooed by someone who's not even trying to, or even supposed to be wooing her. She's becoming increasingly uncomfortable with how easily he's affecting her.

To combat her emotions, she asks, "What makes you think you even know me anymore, Kakashi-sensei?"

He looks off into the distance, one hand shoved into his pocket. "Maybe I don't, YN-chan, but I'm willing to get to know the new you."

**The shining sun slowly** makes its daily arc through the sparsely clouded sky. They are making better time than expected and Kakashi calculates that they'll make it to Kabukichō by the late afternoon at the latest.

As they continue passing town after town, YN grows concerned for the type of city they're headed for. Gone are the quaint houses with neatly manicured lawns and in their wake are dilapidated homes with wooden planks nailed into broken window frames, overgrown yards, accompanied by a few abandoned warehouses.

As the forest begins to dwindle and less houses are seen, the more modern and industrial the buildings appear, making YN feel like a sheltered, country bumpkin. The electrical street lights, hip clothing, and contemporary architecture rivals that of Konoha's simple lanterns and out-dated fashion. Where the city lacks in safety, they more than make up for in technological advances, the complete opposite of Konoha, for Konoha is renowned for being the epicenter of training skilled warriors yet most of the residents communicate via face-to-face or letters. YN can't even fathom what Kabukichō will be like.

By the time the partners call it a night, YN is trying to suppress her infrequent, large yawns behind her hand. The luminous street lamps light the winding paths in the settlement, obstructing the view of the stars and luckily, finding an inn is no longer difficult for them since the towns house two or three apiece.

Upon reaching the next town, the dirt paths transition into stone walkways. They order take-out at the first restaurant they come across, figuring it's best for less people to see them. Despite being in disguise and YN's blunder earlier, they don't want to further risk raising any suspicions – which is why Kakashi traded in his sunglasses for a simple, black headband he kept in his bag so he can cover his Sharingan.

The duo only had to pass a few blocks before reaching an inn. Contrary to the last one they previously stayed in, this one is more rough around the edges but with a few technological amenities. The small room contains a dimming switch, an air conditioning unit, a walk-in shower along with a separate bath tub, and an empty mini fridge. Kakashi isn't so impressed though, considering he has already experienced these technological wonders the last time he traveled north. He's just glad for the indoor shower so they don't have to walk to the towns' bath house this late at night.

Regardless of how gross YN feels from her body being slick with sweat, her hunger pangs are too strong to ignore. Instead of showering first, she opts to eat her share while Kakashi washes himself clean.

She does a double-take at a figure moving in her peripherals right next to the windows, only to see less than half of her body reflecting back at her. A long, narrow mirror hangs on the wall, next to the nightstand and adjacent to the windows. It has smudge marks, chipped sides, and a crack splintering into a spider web at the bottom left hand corner, but all in all, it's still a mirror.

She sits down on her side of the bed, focusing on getting food into her system and not the chaotic mess that is currently her appearance. Not even ten minutes later, her chewing slows as she catches the silver haired man emerge from the steam filled bathroom, opposite of the foot of the bed. Her eyes follow him as he towels his hair dry and rummages through the white paper bag for his food. Adorned in his trusty tank with an attached mask and jonin pants, he sits on the other side of the bed with his back to her.

She licks the mustard off her finger tips and rolls her eyes. Even though he's willing to uncover his Sharingan when they're alone, he still refuses toreveal his face. She wonders why he's so against unveiling the lower portion of his face to anyone but pushes the thought away.

 _If he wants to show me, he will_ , she supposes.

She neatly folds the plastic wrapping of her sandwich and stands up to throw it out in the bathroom bin, bringing her pajamas along as well.

Shutting the bathroom door, she checks the bath tub to relax after a long day. She scrunches her nose at the faint ring of dirt lining the sides of the tub and cranks on the hot water of the walk-in shower instead. Judging by the beads of water already sliding down the tiles, she guesses Kakashi had made the same move.

After stepping into the hot stream of water and scrubbing the grime off of her body, she steps out and lotions her skin. Before exiting the bathroom, she squeezes a small glob of toothpaste on her toothbrush and cleans her mouth. If she's going to continue with her training tonight, chances are she's going to be in very close proximity with Kakashi and she doesn't want any more reasons to feel self-conscious. She spits out the toothpaste and rinses her mouth of excess foam before placing her toothbrush on the counter.

She slowly opens the door and spies Kakashi in the same spot, grinding the heel of his palm into his tired Sharingan eye while the other holds the towel against his damp hair. The young kunoichi also notes how his shoulders are slouched more than usual. She gnaws on her bottom lip, aware that they both want to sleep but this is something she needs to do.

She steps away from the bathroom, clicking the door closed gently and walks to the open, large windows. Unlike last night where the night was pitch black, bright yellow dots can be seen lining the streets in the distance.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei?" She calls over her shoulder, waiting for a response. When she doesn't receive one, she turns around and leans her back against the glass, noticing how his head is cocked to the side as if he's listening. "Do you think we could... uh... train some more tonight? I just want to be prepared since we're going to be arriving in Kabukichō tomorrow and everything..."

He sighs heavily from where he's drying his hair and stands up to face her. His normally messy locks look even more tousled from him rubbing them dry and YN wonders why he looks so attractive when he's disheveled— Wait... no, no, no. Her lips pull into a slight frown at the unsettling notion that this is her second time finding him good-looking since this mission started.

She harshly slams the door on the intrusive thought as he pads over to the bathroom, draping his towel over the curtain rod of the shower before closing the door once more.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask that," he says, leaning against the frame of the door with his arms crossed over his chest, watching her intently.

"I must say, you're better at this than I thought you would be..." he trails off, dimming the light so a soft glow illuminates the room.

Little did he know, YN knows exactly what he means. She remembers how insistent he was of partnering with any other kunoichi but her. Although, the way he trails off must mean she's not as terrible as he predicted, even though she's still far from being good at any of it yet.

"I'm still not ready," she says, pushing off the glass to step closer to the older man.

"No, you're not."

She gives him a look. "Now that we've established that, what should I do now?" She asks, slightly perturbed. Her body stiffens in preparation of hearing an answer she's not going to like.

"You seem to be pretty good at dancing when you think no one's watching." He saunters over to YN, his feet silently thudding against the carpet until there's only half a foot between their bodies. "But can you dance that way in front of an audience?"

She's not sure if her eyes widening and her jaw slacking is from shock or from their close proximity. Either way, she wants to shrink away in embarrassment. "You– you saw me?"

His masked lips turn upwards in an amused smirk as he reaches behind her to draw the curtains closed so no one can see in. "You should know by now that I'm not a heavy sleeper, YN-chan."

His arm subtly brushes against hers as his arm wraps around her, gently pulling on the curtains. The slight scrape of metal against metal clinks together as she inhales the crisp, clean scent of soap that clings to his freshly washed skin, mingling with his natural scent. His comforting aroma fills her deprived lungs and wind throughout her chest as she tries to not make it so obvious. The last thing she wants to add to her list of embarrassing moments is getting caught smelling her ex sensei by her ex sensei. Much to her chagrin, she has to admit that he does smell rather... pleasant.

The mirth in his voice is painfully obvious and she figures he probably finds the whole situation humorous. YN on the other hand, does her best not to visibly cringe from the spectacle she probably made out of herself last night. She remembers the way she awkwardly pawed at her body and jerkily squirmed on the floor like a moron. Fluster heats her body but she refuses to shrink in shame; she's probably going to have to do far worse once she reaches the club. However, he did just say her performance was pretty good and he's not one for flattery unless he means it – does that mean he also meant when he said she was pretty? If he truly thinks she's pretty and can dance sexily, why does she feel like such a failure when she tries to explore her more erotic side?

"What an asshole," she mumbles, pushing against his chest to create a bit of distance between them. "You could've told me, you know!"

A small chuckle escapes his lips as he leans in, giving her a jovial eye crease. "Aw, don't be upset, YN-chan. I had to know what I would be working with." He rights himself up again, tucking his hands into his pockets. "I'm glad you decided to practice on your own. You're not as bad as you think."

Kakashi notices when the kunoichi slightly steps back and how her body tenses but he doesn't comment on it. He cocks his head to the side and looks at her thoughtfully.

"YN-chan, do you know what I've noticed throughout my life?" He asks, sitting back on the edge of the bed.

She gives him a strange look, fingering the hem of her oversized tee. Even though, she is still upset that he was peeping at her, she pushes her feelings aside to focus on his odd question that, hopefully, connects with a lesson. "No?"

"Confidence is really just acceptance."

She shifts from foot to foot, studying his red and black gaze in confusion. "I- I don't get it?"

He leans back again, his hands resting into the plush blankets. "The mere idea of confidence implies that it's rooted in something, whether it be you're confident that you're a good shinobi or that you're confident that you're worthy. What we're aiming for is acceptance." He pauses as he watches her with careful attention, noting how she crosses her arms over her body defensively as she tries to absorb his words. "Cultivating acceptance allows you to exist in any form which gives you the stability that a lot of people seek when they try to 'become more confident'."

Her brows furrow as she ruminates over his statement. "I still don't-," she shakes her head, uncertain. Acceptance? What kind of bullshit advice is that? All her life, she's been told that she isn't good enough, is he saying that's something she has to accept? "I still don't understand."

"From your self-deprecating jokes earlier, I can already surmise that you believe your insecurities define you."

"But they do!" She argues, finding the notion absolutely ridiculous. She tries to deny that deep down, she knows he's not only referring to her looks...

"And there lies your problem. They don't, YN. Confidence isn't about believing you're the most beautiful woman alive because you're flawless. If you accept your body for what it is, for the flaws you think you have, every man in the club will also accept them which inevitably makes you the most beautiful woman."

"But I..." she flounders, trying to find a hole in his philosophy. "But what if the... the guys don't like what I have to offer?"

He shakes his head, "If you can't even accept your own body, how are you supposed to convince others to?"

She's well aware that Kakashi is an expert on the inner workings of the male mind and possibly of women with his preferred literature. She takes a deep breath, trusting him and makes an effort to internalize his advice. "So, what should I do?"

"I propose you perform a strip tease for me and convince me your body is perfect, flaws and all, while doing it. You have something underneath that, right?" He says, nodding to her tee and shorts.

"Yes," she mumbles miserably, twisting her big toe into the carpet. She had changed into a clean pair of panties and chose to wear a sports bra on impulse; something she rarely ever does. However, her lap dance with Kakashi and the slightly gratifying feeling of her breasts rubbing against his face had flashed in her mind and she didn't want to risk encouraging her taboo feelings from growing any further than they already have. She doesn't know what's worse, taking some kind of forbidden liking to a man fifteen years her senior or having to strip down to her undergarments, that even her grandmother would find prudish, in front of that same man?

"At the club you'll obviously be expected to dance to music but for now, use your imagination." He crosses his ankles and tilts his head to the side. "And like I said, convince me you're unwrapping the greatest gift to man."

Rolling her eyes, she gives him a light scoff. The kunoichi takes a deep breath to calm her thumping heart and tugs on her scrunchie, allowing her (hair color) locks to tumble over her shoulders and down her back. She knows it's his job to help her, but she can't help but feel apprehensive about exposing her semi-naked body to him.

She hesitantly begins to sway her hips, trying to remember some of the dance moves she had done last night. She can feel Kakashi intently watching her but she doesn't have the courage to look at him. She knows that if she did, she would spontaneously combust from humiliation.

Kakashi crosses his arms over his chest as he scrutinizes her movements, noting how it's a much tamer version of what he had already taught her. He wants her to release her inhibitions and freely improvise the way she had done last night. Most of all, he wants her to stop staring at the pillow next to him.

"YN," he calls gently, placing his middle and index finger in her line of view and dragging her eyes to his face. "Look at me."

Kakashi keenly watches as her (small, big) (eye color) eyes peer at him through her lashes. He has to admit, her bashfulness is strangely alluring to him. But in truth, it's probably the façade of her demure behavior hinting at something more salacious underneath that he truly finds fascinating. Especially since it promises that she would be herself, genuine and free; something he feels like she hasn't explored in a very long time.

"You look uncomfortable," he states, noticing how she's awkward and unsure, a stranger in her own skin.

"I am," she sighs exasperatedly, rubbing the heels of her palms into her temples. Her shoulders sag as she drops her hands to her sides. "I've never had to do this before."

"Maybe you should relax a little bit. It's only us in the room so there's no need to be shy with me."

Her face unintentionally scrunches from wanting to retort that he should perform the strip tease instead if he finds it so easy, but she swallows her complaints. She tries to remind herself not to make a big deal out of it and that her training is important if they want a successful mission.

She nods, trying again. She begins chewing on her lip and tucks a lock of (hair color) hair behind her ear, trailing her fingers down to the ends as she slowly circles her hips, a much milder version of the way she had done last night. Even though her actions are nothing more than nervous habits, her gestures still exponentially raise her sex appeal.

"You're doing well," he states sincerely. He shifts a little in his spot on the bed and subtly adjusts his jonin pants. "Remember to make your movements bigger. When you're in the club, you're going to be on stage with a lot of people in the room. You want to make sure even the men in the back will be able to see what you're doing."

"Okay," she obeys his command by gyrating her pelvis in wider circles. She places her hands on her hips, her fingers splaying across the sides of her bum while her upper body reflexively undulates, correlating with the motion of her hips. The movement flexes and ripples every muscle in her body as her hands slide up the back of her hips, resting on her waist, subsequently emphasizing her curves. Kakashi suddenly finds his mouth dry and he wets his bottom lip with his tongue, wondering what her muscles would look like under her clothes.

"Now would be a good time to take your clothes off," he states evenly as he shifts in his seat a little more frequently.

Her movements falter a bit before resuming once more. "What– what would you like me to take off first?"

"Your top."

She nods, crossing her arms over her torso while grabbing the hem of her shirt, preparing to pull it off in one go before Kakashi stops her.

"Don't just remove your clothes, YN. A strip tease is about making the process of going from point A to point B enjoyable for your viewer. Take your time and tease your audience, give them small glimpses before revealing everything." 

She nods once more, biting back a frustrated groan. She just wants this session to be over already and contemplates how long it'd take to reach Konoha if she booked it now. Would Kakashi catch her before she even makes it to the door? She would have to pass him first... maybe she could knock him out? She silently snickers to herself, knowing she'd have no chance against an agile ex-ANBU operative like him... Well, maybe... No.

She takes a deep breath, banishing her escape plan, and splays her fingers over the tops of her thighs. She inches the hem of her green shirt up as she drags it over her hips, skimming her fingers along her body.

The overall effect would've been near perfect if she wasn't still rigid and was actually looking at Kakashi.

"Look at the man you're dancing for, YN." He patiently commands, hoping the slight rasp in his voice is just his ears playing tricks on him. "If you want to seduce a man, you can't forget about what your face is doing. Your facial expressions play a more crucial role than your body."

YN pauses her actions, her shirt now bunched around her waist, a sliver of (skin color) skin showing, as she mulls over his words. "...how should I look at you then?"

"Like you want me."

The bluntness of his statement does wonders to not only embarrass but fluster her as well. In a daze, her lips part and her heart rate spikes as his words send an unwanted flare of desire through her; a flare she desperately tries to suppress. In all honesty, this is the first time she's ever felt such a feeling before and she's not quite sure if this is what he's talking about.

"Kakashi... I, uh...."

She drops the hem of her shirt to pick at her cuticles in front of her, allowing the fabric to carelessly tumble back down her body.

Her wide, doe eyes waver before flicking away again, undoubtedly embarrassed that she doesn't understand what expression she's supposed to convey. He hopes that drawing on a past experience may help her comprehend what he's asking of her. "How did you look at him?"

The kunoichi visibly grimaces, immediately understanding who the boy in question is. Shame begins to override her desire when she realizes she should have felt a strong sexual urge, especially during her first time but she didn't. "I... uh... I never looked at him in any particular way."

His intimidating black and red gaze continues to study her but YN refuses to shrink away. She locks eyes with him in the dimly lit room, a quietude settling among them as they both refuse to speak.

"Look to your right." He says after a few moments of silence.

She does as he asks and finds herself staring into her own (eye color) eyes through the mirror next to the nightstand. From her peripherals, can she see his figure stand from the bed and walk over to her, emerging in the reflection as he comes up behind her. She can feel the heat of his body radiating onto her back, wondering what the hell he's doing?

Kakashi's not exactly sure but he has a vague idea of what he's going to do. He remembers how YN always learnt best by following along, especially if she has a natural aptitude for whatever it is she's learning. He has yet to figure out what he'll do if she begins to overthink, he can only hope she doesn't.

"YN," he begins, bending his head next to hers and locking their gaze in the mirror. "I'm going to touch you, okay? Just so I can help you get a feel for how to perform a strip tease. Feel free to keep dancing and I want you to eventually imitate what I do on your own. Got it?"

She mutely nods, gnawing on her bottom lip again.

"I know this is going completely out of your comfort zone, but try your best to bear with me." His hot breath filters through the thin fabric of his mask, expelling on the shell of her ear and she fights a shiver in response.

He places his large hands on her hips and guides them to sway to and fro in dramatic swings, mimicking the motion of a pendulum. Her body tries to resist by stiffening, unfamiliar with such intimate contact.

"I... Kakashi, I can't..."

"Shh, don't overthink it, YN. You just need to relax." His mismatched eyes flick up to study her in the mirror. He can see her features contort into a pained expression as she judges her own movements, forcing herself to yield to his touch. However, he can see the look in her eyes when she starts to overthink, potentially stopping them from making any headway. He releases her hips and takes a small step back.

"I'm sorry..." she squeaks, meeting his intense gaze in the mirror. "We can uh... we can try again, I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, YN." He shoves his hands into his pockets, finding the fabric he used as a headband earlier and a plan begins to formulate. "Take a deep breath, and we'll continue when you're ready."

"Okay," she takes a deep breath through her nose and slowly expels it through the small part of her lips. She repeats the action a few more times until she feels some of her nerves drain out of her. "I'm ready."

He fingers the cloth that's currently hidden from her view. "I noticed last night how freely you danced when you weren't looking at your reflection. Now, what I'm going to do is cut off your sense of sight. It'll heighten your other senses, but I want you to focus on your sense of touch. I want you to feel your hands touching yourself and the feel of your body moving as I guide you, okay?"

He watches her eyes grow wide but she stiffly nods in compliance and he pulls out the cloth from his pocket.

"Close your eyes."

YN's eyes nervously flutter shut as Kakashi wraps the makeshift blindfold over her eyes. Taking extra precaution to not tangle any flyaway strands into the knot, he smooths down her hair, unwillingly enjoying the softness of her hair under his fingers. He can feel his face warm, remembering the few times he has done this to other women and now he's currently doing it to one of his former students in a similarly intimate setting.

Finishing the knot of the makeshift blindfold, he drops his hands onto her tense shoulders and observes her in the reflection. Her hands timidly graze against the cloth and he notices how damn good she looks with it on. Intrusive images of her wearing nothing but the blindfold flood his mind and he does his best to dispel the dirty thoughts.

As the naughty images persistently re-enter his mind, he suddenly remembers how they still have to work on her graciously taking compliments in a sensual context. "YN," he says.

"Yes?" Her hands drop back to her sides, feeling the light weight of Kakashi's hands on her shoulders.

"You look pretty blindfolded."

Another pang of heat stabs her gut and spreads through her being. She, once again, finds herself trying to calm the fluster by pressing the backs of her hands to her cheeks as her mouth parts and closes repeatedly. She swallows a whimper from feeling so vulnerable and bare. Why is he doing this to her?

_‘You don’t take compliments well, do you?’_

His words trickle back to her from a few nights ago, reminding her that his admiration is only for preparing her the club. After all, he did say they had to work on it.

"Thank you." She says evenly, not betraying the disappointment she feels.

He narrows his eyes at the blindfolded (blonde, brunette, redhead, etc.) in front of him, stunned at how well she took his compliment in such a helpless situation. He hums in thought and squeezes her shoulders in a soft massage, his thumbs gently rubbing over the tops of her shoulder blades. "Do you feel pretty, YN-chan?"

"Yes." She says with a hint of breathlessness.

He smirks under his mask, pride swelling in his chest at how well she's handling this compromising situation. "Good girl."

Even though, she's slightly miffed that this is all just a test, it doesn't do anything to quell the pleasure she feels from his small praises.

He delicately trails his hands from her shoulders down to her hands, softly grazing her smooth skin so he doesn't startle her. He grips her hips once more, coaxing them to sway in the familiar rhythm. Much to his satisfaction, her hips unrestrictedly submit to his touch. He slides his hands up her sides, his eyes wandering over her face, and encourages her ribcage to follow the movement of her pelvis.

"Now touch yourself the way you did last night." He whispers against her ear, his smooth voice is suddenly lower and rougher than it had been and her breath hitches as she suppresses an unintentional shiver.

Her hands come up to smooth up and down her sides and sensually lifting her long locks to pile on her head with a few tendrils escaping her fingers.

"That's perfect," he says sincerely. "Now, let's put a little variety in your routine. You always want to keep your audience guessing."

A soft gasp leaves her lips from the unexpected actions of the older man. With the loss of her vision, her other four senses heighten, enhancing every touch, every smell, and every sound around her. She can feel the unmistakable warmth and hard plane of the front of his torso pressing into her back as one of his arms wrap around her waist, holding her snug against him.

"This is a good move you can try." He gently taps his foot against the inside of hers, widening his student's stance. With her body pressing tightly against his, his begins to undulate his body in a dramatic wave, forcing hers to move along with him.

The smell of his rich, earthy scent now wraps around her in a comforting familiarity contrasting the uncertainty of how she should feel with his well-defined body rubbing against hers as they dance together. The way he's moving with her stirs something primal and deep inside of her. The way his hips are rolling into her bum elicits images of other activities that he could possibly do with the same motion. 

She chews on her bottom lip, pushing the thoughts away as her body melts further into his, enjoying the gratifying sensation. Curtesy of the blindfold, it provides a false sense of security and protection, allowing her to fully experience the intimate contact without fear of seeing Kakashi's reaction. However, she has to remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling this way, blindfolded or not.

"Now try it on your own." He whispers lowly, stepping away from YN and giving her enough space to apply other dance moves into the rippling movement of her body.

Much to her relief, he places a little bit of distance between them and gives her a reprieve from the uncomfortable notion of her taboo feelings. Even though the movements still feel foreign and new, she no longer looks awkward or unsure with the help of Kakashi guiding her along.

Unbeknownst to her, the older man also feels relieved when he puts space between them. Her lush, plump rear felt soft and pleasant, molding against his hips as they slowly ground against each other. The pleasure he felt was promising to entice a surge of blood to a certain area he'd rather not awaken. As he looks in the mirror, he's starting to question his own plan for he has a feeling he's beginning to tread in treacherous waters, waters that will risk their professionalism. He highly doubts he'll be able to professionally instruct YN to grind on his erection as he professionally enjoys her feminine curves pressed against him. However, she already seems much more confident, so he decides to stick with it, gathering every last bit of self-restraint.

He lifts her blindfold up, her (eye color) eyes gazing into his heterochromatic ones through their reflection. "Look at me when you tease me," he says breathlessly, dragging the cloth down her long locks and shoving it back into his pocket.

He didn't mean for his comment to sound so... suggestive; he just wanted to get her comfortable with making eye contact as she strips. However, she shows no indication that she picked up on the possible innuendo his remark held. Instead, she gyrates her hips in slow wide circles, flexing her abdomen muscles as she hesitantly lifts the sides of her shirt, showing him tantalizing glimpses of her (skin color) skin. She wraps the hem around her fingers, teasingly lifting it up and pulling it back down, inching it higher than the last.

Kakashi is just realizing he has never seen YN's midriff before. She was too young for him to ever spare her a glance, anyways; and even if he did, she always wore oversized clothing. Not to mention, over the last few years he rarely saw her. As he watches her now, he has to admit he's never seen a midriff that looks more appealing. Very few minor scars scatter across her stomach and back, faint to the eye thanks to Sakura's advanced healing skills. His eyes flick up to hers in the mirror, meeting her gaze as he keeps his touching to a minimum until she's able to perform all on her own.

"Perfect, YN." He rasps against her ear. "Now take it off."

He intently observes her as she peels her shirt over her head and lets it drop in a heap next to her foot before kicking it aside. She musses her hair even further as she runs her fingers through it, shaking it out and giving her an appealing tousled look as some locks slide over her shoulders. Her eyes glance down to her body in the reflection and she tenses up once she realizes her upper body is exposed with only a sports bra covering her modesty.

Her grey sports bra is one of the least impressive pieces of clothing Kakashi has seen in his life time. It offers full coverage with the common racerback straps and lacks the low cut design and intricate straps that most women have begun to wear. Despite it lacking embellishments, Kakashi can't help but notice how good she looks. Long gone is the thirteen year old girl who joined Team 7. In her place stands a full fledged woman baring her curves in all their splendor...well, most of her curves.

Her arms attempt to fly to her chest so she can hide her body, but Kakashi quickly grabs her wrists and brings them back to her sides. He tsks in her ear before chiding her, "You're supposed to be convincing me, remember?"

"Yes...," she mutters lowly, pouting her bottom lip out. Knowing that their eyes are locked in the mirror and not on her body lets her relax a little.

"I want you to keep the blindfold off and keep making me believe that touching you is the most wonderful feeling in this world." He instructs, his voice rough and deep. He guides her hands to her own abdomen, encouraging them to glide over the smooth, supple skin.

YN watches as their hands move together, her muscles flexing under her own hands as they roam around her body. She has touched herself countless of times, washing her skin in the shower, getting dressed, and in failed experiences of masturbation. However, it never felt this satisfying before. Even though Kakashi isn't the one directly touching her, she feels the strange sensation of desire heating her core once again as he teaches her to correctly touch her own body.

He draws their hands up the middle of her stomach, lightly grazing the underside of her breasts as he drags their hands to the outside of her ribs and fleetingly over her collarbones before trailing back down to the swell of her breasts.

"Kakashi?" She asks timidly, her body tensing in objection of his move.

"Do you trust me?" He asks, stilling their hands at the top of her clothed mounds.

"Yes," she says without hesitation, her voice slightly breathless yet certain.

"Good girl." He rasps in her ear. "Many men will appreciate this move." He positions her hands over the swells of her breasts, letting her palms gently cup the clothed mounds.

He hears YN sharply inhale a shaky breath, knowing it's not purely from surprise. He tries to dispel the feeling that perhaps, the last move wasn't solely for YN but more for his own benefit; judging by the fact that the sight of her own hands over her breasts had sent a wave of heat to his own core. Considering the sound she just made, he knows he's not the only one enjoying it.

Now, he's definitely treading into dangerous waters and he's aware it's best to just move on and get this session over with.

"Okay, now it's time for your shorts." He says, his voice huskier than he would have liked. "Be a tease like you did with your top."

Even though YN feels uncomfortable with this situation, she's also very curious. The burning flame inside of her continues to grow hotter by the second, and although it frightens her, she's never felt this free and honest with herself before. And who better to explore her sensuality with than alongside the man she trusts?

With a simple nod of his head in the mirror, she hooks her thumbs in the elastic waistband of her shorts and dips them down, offering small peeks of her (skin color) skin and hip bones.

"Good. Now when you take them off, you should face away from your audience and bend over as gracefully as possible. The men will want to see everything."

Since she was already facing away from him, she hesitantly bends over and lets the black fabric slide down her thighs until it pools around her ankles. She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, trying to calm her raging fluster and straightens herself before kicking it to the side, letting it pile with her shirt in the corner. She fights the urge to cover herself with her semi-naked body now on full display for the silver haired jonin behind her, letting his eyes take in every dip and curve he has already felt.

"You did well," he says, feeling his heart-rate spike at the sight of her. Her (large, small) ass, clad in a matching pair of grey panties, is now on full display for his hungry eyes. Much like her bra, it's simple with a high-cut design that gives the appearance of longer legs yet still made for comfort more so than looks. However, something about the plain underwear does more for him than a tiny, lace thong. Maybe because it's undoubtedly her; innocent yet playful? Not that he should even be ogling her panties anyways, considering this is strictly for the mission, damn it! Nope, he doesn't want to stare at her beautiful body all night long... no, not at all.

His eyes feast on her body before he forcibly tears them away to settle on her face, keeping his thoughts to himself. He notices she's looking anywhere but him as she gnaws on her bottom lip.

"I can see you're not used to being exposed, so let's work on it before we retire for the night," he says, debating whether or not he should run his hands up and down her back in a soothing gesture. He refrains in fear it'll only make her worry more. "Just keep dancing and try to maintain the confidence you had earlier."

She nods wordlessly and sensually circles her hips, a move that's rapidly becoming her favorite. She lets her hands glide over her body in whatever direction feels nice to her, believing she must be doing something right if Kakashi is uttering phrases of praise and encouragement through his mask while she dances.

She's extremely aware of her sensei's body behind hers, feeling his hot breath fan over her and the rustling of his clothes on her bare skin. She wonders if her highly sensitized body is a residual effect from the blindfold act or not. Either way, his intense red and black gaze that keep hers fixed on him through the mirror only adds fuel to the hot liquid thrumming through her veins.

It's not until his eyes break from hers to observe the captivating motion of her body does she relax even further by closing her eyes, mimicking the sensations she felt when she wore the blindfold. She begins to lose herself in her labored breathing, her pants becoming the rhythm she dances to. With the help of Kakashi, she's beginning to feel somewhat comfortable exposing her body for the visual pleasure of strange men. Even if his praises and words of encouragement were insincere and used for the sole purpose of easing her into accepting flattery, it doesn't quell the empowerment she feels. The empowerment of conquering one of her biggest fears and amending her failed explorations by successfully guiding her through her erotic side.

Her clashing mind quietly dies down as she melts into his lean yet solid body, the voices of how wrong this is are gradually being overpowered by the possibility that his praises are genuine; a strange phenomenon. They're relationship has always been of teacher and student, nothing more, and she greatly respects and admires him. After all, he's a master of over one thousand jutsus. She highly doubts a man of his stature and esteem would ever find her attractive. But if that's the case, then why does his large, rough hands dancing across her thighs feel so... natural?

The second she closed her eyes and lulled her head back, Kakashi should have stopped. However, he has one last objective to accomplish before he lets her go... maybe a two in one, if he's being honest with himself. The objective relates to her utilizing her facial expressions as a weapon in her arsenal of seduction. Considering her response to his command to act like she wanted him, hell, even to the question about that boy, he's certain she's never felt an all-consuming lust before.

The fact that she doesn't understand the concept of pure lust doesn't sit well with him, especially since she's not a virgin. His perception of YN has already been shattered into small shards since the second night of the mission, but this will blur their thin boundaries even further. Yet, he believes this is for her benefit.

He dips his fingers into the indentation of her waist, trailing them down the curve of her hips until his fingers splay over her silken thighs. He can discern her quivering and contracting muscles under his palms as she moves, hearing the shaky breath she tries to swallow at his first stroke against her skin. Her eyes flutter open, carefully gazing at his hands through the mirror as he softly caresses her body. He sees the uncertainty on her face, but she doesn't stop him.

He continues to trace her figure with his hands, smoothing them over her stomach until one hand wraps around her waist while he slowly ghosts his fingers up the path from her navel to the valley her breasts. His fingers skim over her clothed mounds and her collarbones until they gently cover her throat, his thumb caressing the side of her neck. The motion has her angling her throat, quietly gasping, to give him more room to stimulate the sensitive area of her body. Instead of pushing him away, her back arches forward while her bum kneads into his groin over and over and over again.

When his hand begins to trail down once more, he feels her smaller hand run over his bare forearm to capture his and fill the gaps between his fingers with her own. The closeness of her action has him losing the last shred of his self-restraint and he can feel his his member twitch to life as it finally hardens. His eyes quickly glance to YN's face in the mirror to see if she notices the bulge forming in his pants but her eyes are too fixated on their hands around her neck as she dances without restrictions.

YN would've shrunk in to herself by now at their intimate behavior, subtly trying to find a way to resist so she doesn't seem rude. Instead, she's enjoying her new found confidence and the way he's looking at her, the way he's touching her, knowing that no one has ever done those two things to her the way Kakashi is now. In this fleeting moment, she feels like she's enough as she is and she feels so fucking pretty as his hands softly run over her skin, adding to that wonderful heat inside of her.

From Kakashi's vast experiences with women, he knows every woman has a different erogenous zone, some being the same while others differ greatly. For YN, it seems like her whole body is responsive to his touch, perhaps her neck being the most sensitive. The way his fingers caress her neck ever so softly seems to spur her on until he's holding most of her weight as she grinds against him ardently, her hands sensually holding his.

And that's when he smells it.

His highly sensitized nose picks up on the subtle, heady scent of undeniable female arousal which means his objective is complete. Yet, by the clouded look in her (eye color) eyes, he assumes she's been aroused for a while now, and it was him being the one who didn't want to stop.

"YN, look at yourself," he commands, stopping his hand that's currently wrapped around her throat and holding her face by her jaw, while the other is still holding her tightly to him.

The young woman was so caught up in the delicious friction of their hands around her throat and roaming over her body that it takes her a while to focus at the image staring back at her. The (blonde, brunette, redhead, etc.) in the mirror can't be her, can it? The woman in the reflection has tousled hair that adds to her sex appeal and her (small, big) eyes are darkened with a hazy look. Her features adorn the perfect come-hither face that she tried so hard to achieve last night.

Her eyes widen and her lips part in realization, erasing the erotic expression on her face even though it's fresh in her memory. With her hand still holding his around her neck, she tilts her head up on his chest so she can look at Kakashi's face in person.

He peers down at the dazed woman, giving her his signature eye crease. "What you just experienced is raw desire. That's the expression you should've had your first time. Every time you dance, I want you to recall this moment because if you dance on stage the way you just were, you will undoubtedly be the sexiest woman in the room. You had me convinced, YN-chan. Congratulations."

Her doe eyes, still clouded with desire, absently blink up at him, unsure of what to say. She's still reeling from the effects of her hazy mind, the heat Kakashi is enveloping her with, and the wonderful tingling sensation in her nether regions. As the fog gradually clears, the unsettling realization that her sensei had just managed to elicit a wanton, nympho out of her usually reserved self strikes her violently with conflicting emotions. She yanks his hands away from her body and quickly scrambles to place a few feet between them.

On one hand, what he was doing to her had made her feel good, oh so incredibly good; the way their bodies moved together allowed her to tap into a side of herself she could never reach before. She felt womanly, wanted, and something else she never quite felt during the last few years of her life. On the other hand, this is her fucking teacher, for goodness sake! Her fucking teacher who she's already developing a small yet _unwanted_ and _unneeded_ crush on. How could this happen? Even if she does require the training for this mission, how can she so easily grind against her teacher, a man fifteen years her senior, as she dances for him half-naked?! How can she justify enjoying it when it's clearly training for a mission to him? Damn it, she's not even supposed to be enjoying it in the first place!

Sure, she was vaguely aware that she was becoming all hot and bothered by the friction of their bodies rubbing together. However, she's not sure what to make of the situation with her slightly dazed mind. All she knows is that she needs to clear her head to try to process the events properly and sort out her muddled feelings along with the shame of fervently grinding against him.

Similar to earlier, Kakashi can see the gears turning in her head as she skips a few steps of processing and goes straight to overthinking. He can safely assume she's on the verge of a mental breakdown from finally realizing the feeling she felt inside her and what was rubbing against her. To prevent her from freaking out, she holds his hands out between them in a gesture to subdue her.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry!" She panics, covering her mouth with her hands. "We– I–"

"YN, it's okay. As a medic, you should know that what you felt is completely normally and our bodies reacted."

"But it shouldn't have happened!" She throws her hands up on the air, letting them slap against her naked thighs when they fall down. She steps closer and pokes her finger in his chest, punctuating every word. "Why didn't you stop me?!"

He grabs the wrist of her hand that's poking him, feeling annoyed at the constant jabs. "It's not like I didn't want to, YN. You were lacking in this area of expertise and I knew it would raise our chances of a successful mission if you gained a bit of experience."

"Okay, and?" She hisses, trying to poke him again but his strong grip prevents her hand from moving. She averts her eyes from him, mortified. "You didn't have to go so fucking... _far_!"

Kakashi's fully aware of the raging erection that's currently straining against the confines of his pants but there's nothing he can do about it at the moment.

"YN, you know exactly how this particular organ works. After all, you somehow convinced yourself that you violated me yesterday."

"Just because I know they have a mind of their own doesn't mean I'm... y'know..." She trails off, sighing exasperatedly while she frantically looks for her clothes so she can put some kind of barrier between them, even if it's only flimsy fabric. Maybe she can also hide in the grime ringed tub inside the bathroom so she can die from the crushing shame of being some kind of wanton freak peacefully. Anywhere but here, really.

How far away is Konoha again?

Once she spots her clothes in the corner, she tries to wiggle her wrist out of Kakashi's firm grip. To her surprise, his grip tightens by a fraction and he grabs her jaw once more to force her to look at him.

She pouts, unsettled and helpless as her wavering eyes make an effort to maintain the gaze with her sensei.

"YN," he says, his dark eye clearly conveying the sincerity in his voice. "We agreed to talk it out with each other instead of running away and making the situation worse."

They silently stare at one another before she inhales a deep breath, closing her eyes as she slowly exhales. She's perturbed at how easily he can read her, especially after all this time and yet his expressions were still as indecipherable as ever to her.

"I know... I'm sorry... I just never thought I'd talk to you again, let alone think we would ever be like _that_."

"I know." He tilts her chin up gently and meets her (eye color) eyes evenly. "I'm sorry this is how we're reuniting. We should've met up again on more wholesome terms and all of your sexual experiences should actually mean something. Due to mission circumstances and your lack of experience, just know that I had to take action."

She offers him a rueful smile, tucking a lock behind her ear. "I'm sorry for blaming you, I know it's not your fault."

"It's fine, YN-chan. I understand it must be difficult for you." He retracts his hand from her chin and ruffles her hair like he used to do back in her genin days. The comforting action alleviates her worries and signifies that despite everything that has happened between, their relationship hasn't changed much and she bites her bottom lip to keep her smile from spreading.

Their brief moment of comfort passes before he steps away from her. YN notices a prominent bulge in his pants before she tears her eyes away, fluster creeping up her neck to her scalp.

"Thank you, Kakashi... for the training that is! I think... I'm going to get some sleep." She quickly strides over to the corner to grab her clothes. "You should probably take care of... that."

Kakashi looks down only for his face to heat and for him to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'll take the floor again tonight." He states.

"No it's okay," she says quickly, not wanting him to retire on the cold, hard carpet. She scrunches her face at the floor as she pulls her shirt over her head, unsure of what kind of unsanitary germs could be residing inside the fibers, considering the grimy state of their tub. "Just do what you need to do. I'll save room for you like last time."

The silver haired jonin nods as he watches her step into her shorts.

"Try not to fall off the bed this time while I take a shower," he teases edging away from her as she climbs into bed. She playfully sticks her tongue out at him before he turns and pads to the bathroom.

Once inside in the sanctuary of the moderately sized room, he readjusts his pants before gripping the edge of the counter. As he inhales the faint floral scent of YN's body wash that still lingers in the air, he wonders how much more of this he can take. On one hand, he knows he had good reason for what he had done. She's too honest, her expressions and body language clearly reveal what she's too afraid to say, betraying her more often than not. She never would have been able to act accordingly if she's never felt lust before. On the other hand, a tiny voice inside him keeps telling him that he shouldn't try to compensate for her awful one-time experience, especially since it's not his responsibility to correct it. Either way, deep down he knows he enjoyed what they were doing far more than he should have and the proof is still there, hard and pulsating.

He reaches inside the shower with his hand hovering over the water knob before his mismatched gaze snaps over to the closed bathroom door. After a moment's hesitation, he cranks it to an inviting temperature. He scolds himself while he strips out of his clothes, feeling immediate relief when his restrained member springs from its confines and lightly slaps against his stomach before bouncing weightily.

The hot spray lessens the tension in his muscles when he steps in, contrary to his warring conscious that's warning him he's only adding to the long list of reasons of why he's destined for hell. Even when the heavy weight of his dick rests against his calloused fingers, begging for attention, he knows how wrong this is but he can't handle another night of self-deprivation when their recent encounter flashes in his mind; cruelly taunting him. He can still feel the ghost of her body pressing against his and her supple skin under his fingers which makes his member pulsate all the more painfully.

Warm streams of water cascade down his needy body as he gives his manhood a few long and hard gratifying strokes before he continuously pumps his length in a constant rhythm, similar to their dancing.

As he nears his release, he tries to block the images of YN by focusing on past lovers and the wonderful things they have done to him and he to them. His muscles tense and spasm as an euphoric sensation surges through him and he pumps his hand faster at his much needed orgasm.

Low grunts mix with the droning of the hot spray as his approaching peak coils in his stomach and groin, building with an immense intensity from his unusually long dry-spell and the sensory stimuli provided by the woman in the other room; visually and physically. He braces his free hand against the slick tiles while images that he insists are not YN flash in his mind's eye as he continues to knead his swollen shaft, gritting his teeth in bliss.

A long, satisfied groan leaves his lips the same time his hot seed spurts onto the tiled wall, releasing all of the pent up frustration of the last few days. Yet, as he slowly strokes his manhood to ride out his high, he realizes the blindfolded woman had long, (hair color) hair with his hand around her neck.


End file.
